Message In The Rainbow
by Emma95
Summary: When a new serial killer strikes California, Jane and Lisbon are forced to visit their old haunts in order to catch him. Will Jane risk attracting another psychotic murderer to his person for the sake of general welfare? On-going multichapter. Jisbon. Set in early season 7.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my attempt to write something that could also be in the show. Spoilers for 7x05 and some BTS photos that came out. Takes canon from 7x04 and departs from there. Rated T for now, but will probably enter M territory later. This chapter doesn't have much Jisbon time, but please bear with me. **

**Disclaimer: The Mentalist belongs to the genius that is Bruno Heller. I own nothing. **

**Chapter 1: Sparkling Eyes**

Jane woke to the familiar smell of leather and sweat. For a moment, he was lost. He'd expected to find himself in a very different work environment.

Then, as the waking world took in and he remembered, all of his body relaxed. He realized his shoulders had cowered in a defense position. And he knew why. Old habits never died. He had been waiting for the pain to come. Only it didn't.

It was like there was a huge dam around his heart, preventing it from penetration. And as comforting as it was, it was also scary. As if the ghost of the pain was waiting on the other side. Trying to find a hole. Trying to get in.

So far, the dam hadn't let it.

Inevitably, his mind travelled to those dark days, a kingdom he rarely visited nowadays. In that kingdom, this same couch used to hold a whole different meaning. It symbolized his patience, his determination and his persistence. Every time he opened his eyes, the comforting brown leather would whisper the same dull message: "Nothing's been done yet. You still have to catch him".

Then, Lisbon would come in the picture, the only light in that darkness, her very presence reminding him of his humanity, the fact that there were other things to him than his thirst for revenge. _He could still be saved_, though he couldn't see it clearly for himself at the time.

But Lisbon's faith seemed to be enough for both of them. And in the end, it _had_ saved him. That and the very thought of what would happen to her if she found his dead body. He could never do that to her.

Now the pattern was the same.

Still, different.

He would wake up on the same couch to find Teresa sitting just across from him, her familiar petite figure warming his heart, making him feel normal again. She was his breath.

Yet there was no reason for him to be on that couch anymore. The only reason he had come back was Lisbon. Now she was with him. And the question was: why was he still there?

"You enjoy the mental stimulation", Lisbon had said.

And it was true.

But compared to risking their lives-risking _her_ life-almost every day and seeing death all around, it was nothing. He would choose a domestic life with her a million times. He would choose to be human. Normal. With her.

"Jane".

Abbott was coming out of his office, his eyes slightly amused, an expression of him Jane had gotten used to.

He slowly rose to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep off his face with his hands.

«Dennis. Were you secretly hiding in a corner waiting for my eyes to open?" he mumbled.

"I was actually coming to wake you up. Heard Lisbon used to kick your couch in many an occasion", Abbott commented, smiling sympathetically.

"Yes, she did. Don't remind me", he answered. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"We have a new case. And I think you and Lisbon might like this one", he said.

Jane looked at him questioningly.

"It's in California".

"What are we dealing with, Boss?" Lisbon asked, going through some photos of various crimes scenes that Abbott had distributed to them; her expression growing more and more appalled.

"Yet another serial killer, I'm afraid, Agent Lisbon", Abbott answered, as he waited for the rest of them to settle in their seats.

They were all gathered in the bullpen. Wiley at his computer, Vega and Cho sitting on the front row and Jane… Jane was not there. Lisbon looked around, trying to maintain a casual expression, searching with her eyes.

"I've already briefed Jane as I needed his insights in the situation", said Abbott, answering to her silent question. Apparently, nothing slipped the awareness of the mighty Boss.

Lisbon tried to look as indifferent as she could, which was why she was stunned when someone else asked:

"So where is he?"

It was Vega. And judging by everyone's curious expressions, it wasn't only her that wanted to know.

"I… don't know", Abbott said, a phrase that sounded strange coming from him. "He said he'd be back soon though. Anyway, back to the case".

The screen was showing the grotesque image of a girl hanging upside down from an enormous bridge, the horizon painted with the vibrant orange of a late sunset. Lisbon recognized the place. She had crossed it a thousand times in the past to drive to crime scenes.

"Golden Gate Bridge", Cho remarked. "That's in California".

"Yes, Agent Cho. And since you, Jane and Lisbon are familiar with the place, you'll be the ones travelling there to investigate".

"Ok", Cho said, his face betraying no more emotion than it usually did.

"What makes you think this is a serial killer?" Wiley asked then.

"Good question, Wiley. There have been two other murders following the same pattern. Both happened in the two previous months. The first one was in Blue Lake, California".

The slide changed, switching to the image of another girl chained head down to the anchor of a ship; the irony of a rainbow painted on the sky behind her.

"Greenbrae", Abbott continued, switching to another image. A girl again; this one hanging from the branch of a tree, the rope draped around her ankle. San Francisco Bay was shining in the background.

The screen turned black.

"Always near water. Always a woman hanging upside down", Abbott said.

The room sank in silence, as everyone was trying to grasp the brutality and inhumanness of the murders.

Vega shook her head with reprobation.

"Sir, I would like to join the investigation, if that's ok with you", she said.

"No", Cho intervened.

Vega looked at him defensively, her gaze flickering between him and her boss.

"Sir?"

Abbott seemed to value the situation. Then, smiling courteously, he said:

"If you want to go, then nothing should stop you, Agent Vega".

"Thank you, sir".

Before Cho could say anything, Abbott continued.

"The strange thing about these pictures, though, is that they were found at the crime scenes, probably taken from the killer himself".

"Why would he do that?" Lisbon thought loudly.

"Excellent question, Lisbon".

It wasn't Abbott who had answered.

She whirled around in her seat, startled. Though she already knew who it was.

Still, she couldn't prevent her heart from missing a beat, when she saw him; coming out of the elevator; wearing his characteristic million watt smile.

She hadn't realized she was nervous until now that his presence filled her with a heavenly kind of peace. A silent reassurance that everything in the world was in place and even if it weren't, it would eventually be. She realized she was smiling back at him, making heart eyes. It took all her strength to remind herself that they were not alone. She casually fixed her expression. Jane's smile grew even wider.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, regarding his previous remark.

Jane withdrew his eyes to honor the rest of the team, his face growing serious.

"You'll see", he said enigmatically.

"Jane, where have you been?" Abbott interrupted.

"Ah, you know, shopping", he said, lifting his left hand to show a shopping bag that read "OpticStore" on it.

"An Optics store?" Wiley commented.

"Yeah… In fact", Jane murmured, putting his other hand in the bag and bringing out what seemed like camera lens. "Here", he said, offering one to him.

Wiley took it hesitantly, turning it upside down with inspection, while Jane distributed the rest of them to the team. When he finished, he went to stand beside Abbott, his expression full of enigma and child amusement.

Lisbon felt her patience fade away.

"Are you gonna tell us what these are?" she asked, failing to keep a straight face. Seriously, it was becoming more and more difficult to be angry at him these days.

"Someone's impatient", Jane remarked, his eyes fixing intently on her. She turned her face away, hiding her imminent smile.

Even though Jane being flirty wasn't something new, her reactions to him were. It was them she was most worried about. They were trying to hide their relationship here, not blare it out.

"Bear with me please", Jane requested.

And as they did, sunlight gradually gushed in the room; the sun rising on the horizon.

"Look", Jane said then, pointing at the little gifts he'd given them.

Lisbon did and felt her breath catch.

The crystal glass was now subtly glowing with a color. A very special color.

"Wow", Wiley remarked.

Lisbon turned to look toward his direction, her eyes dazzled.

The rest of the crystals were glowing as well. Each with a different color: Wiley's with green, Vega's with orange, Cho's yellow, Abbott's purple and hers… Hers was blue.

She turned to face Jane again, feeling suddenly emotional. It was then she noticed he was holding a crystal of his own. She didn't know what to make of the color.

It was bright red.

"These are quite delightful, but we have a serial killer to deal with here, Jane. Anything useful you'd like to add to the case?" Abbott asked.

"Ah yes. His killing pattern is rainbow colors", he said.

"Rainbow colors?" Abbott repeated, amused.

Jane nodded, as if his explanation was more than enough.

Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"Oh please", he said as he noticed everyone's clueless expressions, "Blue Lake, Greenbrae, Golden Gate Bridge? You have to see there's a pattern here"

"Could be a coincidence", Cho said.

"Yes, but it doesn't feel like one. I'm telling you for sure, the next crime scene will have to do with orange".

"How can you tell?" Lisbon asked.

"The pictures of course. You asked yourself, Lisbon. Why would a killer take photos of his victims and then leave them somewhere where the police could easily find them?"

Lisbon shook her head. _Why?_

"It's a puzzle. The photos point to the location of the next murder".

"Yeah right", Lisbon commented.

"Why would he do that?" Cho asked.

"Show us please", Abbott said opening the slideshow again.

"Ok, in the first crime scene, Blue Lake. That glorious rainbow behind the girl. It is the first clue. It's the killer's way of saying "This is the game". Now if you zoom in…" he paused, waving his hands illustratively.

When Abbott didn't respond, Jane looked at him, a waiting expression on his face.

The Boss seemed to come around and quickly did as Jane requested, zooming in the image. It was quite funny to watch. Abbott following Jane's orders, even the small ones.

"Ah, there".

"What?" Abbott asked, dumbstruck.

"Oh come on. The name of the ship. Green Rock…Greenbrae… Anyone?"

"Ah…" It was Wiley's voice. He was reading something at the screen of his computer. Slowly, a winning smile took form on his face. "Jane's right. Says here Greenbrae really means green hillside".

"Thank you, Jason".

"Hmm, interesting theory Jane. But still, it's mere guessing work. We need concrete evidence", Abbott said.

Jane smiled cunningly. Lisbon knew that look. He was waiting for this opportunity.

"Show me the third slide, please", Jane requested.

Abbott did.

"Look at this picture. Does something seem a little strange to you?"

Everyone stretched in their seats, trying to take a closer look.

"It is sunset", Lisbon said finally getting his point.

"Exactly. But we know that the murder happened very early this morning. And as you witnessed just minutes ago, the sun only just rose".

There was complete silence again. Jane had managed to bewitch them again.

"The answer to this riddle is: the sunset is fake. It's an effect created with color filters, these very beautiful crystals I just handed out to you. And for what reason would the killer get in so much trouble, other than to point his next murder location?"

Jane was smiling, his eyes sparkling with the thrill of having just solved a puzzle. He was so beautiful, Lisbon thought. This was Jane. Her Jane. Using his wits and his charm to wipe the bad from this world. She felt an overwhelming pride and admiration for him.

"Why would he reveal the location of his next murder in the first place? Isn't that as good as catching him?" Wiley wondered.

"Well, he's playing with us obviously. He doesn't just kill to kill. He wants the attention, people trying to solve his puzzle".

"So what if someone did solve it? I mean, you just did, right?" Vega asked.

"I guess we will find out the end of the game as we play it".

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Lisbon said.

"Not if we play smart", Jane comforted her.

"How are we gonna do that?" It was Cho who asked.

"Each of his victims appeared on the same day of three successive months. We have to change that pattern. We have to make him want to kill sooner".

"How?" Cho asked again.

"What makes a serial killer change his pattern?"

Lisbon smiled.

"That pattern being figured out", she answered smugly.

"Exactly. We tell the media what we found out. We make a fake arrest, so that he thinks he's in a safe zone. Then we wait for the cake to bake".

"Okay, but we have to find his next location. You said it will be about orange. That could be thousands of places in California", Vega remarked.

"Ah, actually, there are four of them", Wiley told her, looking at the screen of his computer again.

"Excellent!" Abbott said, "Find one that's near water".

"Orange County is. But there is also a city named Orange Cove, in Fresno".

"Could be both. Jane, which one?"

"Orange County", he answered.

"Why?" Abbott asked.

"Disneyland; I think our killer would like the irony of it. In fact, better yet. We make the fake arrest in Orange Cove, making him think we guessed wrong. That way we lure him to Orange County", Jane said; his mind plotting.

"Ok, then you'll need to split. Cho and Vega will travel to Orange Cove and you with Lisbon will go to Orange County. Then you both wait for Mr. Rainbow to show up".

"Mr. Rainbow?" Cho commented.

"If you come up with a better name, Agent Cho, please, do tell", Abbott said, withdrawing to his office.

"So, California, huh?"

Lisbon was sitting behind the wheel, her body slightly turned toward his direction, her eyes searching his face. They had just gotten in the car, outside FBI headquarters.

"Mmm", he just said, lost in his thoughts.

"It's been so long", Lisbon commented; looking through the windshield. "So many memories".

After a while, she turned to look at him again, her hand moving to cover his. He took it and squeezed it gently, returning her hearty gaze.

"I'm glad you're gonna be with me", she said to him; her eyes honest and kind.

At that moment, he loved that woman more than anything in his life.

Then a thought crossed his mind and he realized what she could probably mean. He felt a little twinge in his heart. The last months she had spent there were probably the most awful. She had lost her job and had to deal with the aftermath of his actions. He had never asked her about it. She had never told him either. They both seemed comfortable not talking about the past. Relieved, even.

But not talking about something didn't erase the fact that it had happened. And no matter how many times he had apologized to her in his letters, he would never forgive himself for the pain he'd caused her. So he said to her:

"I'm sorry I wasn't the last time".

"It's okay", she reassured him, stroking his hand with her little fingers; a warm expression on her face.

"So", she said; trying to lighten the situation, "you're gonna help me pack again then?"

"Well, I can't let you die from boredom. I have to entertain you", he teased her.

"Thank God I have you", Lisbon said in that high-pitched voice she did, when she was being sarcastic with him.

Jane smiled, feeling genuinely happy.

**A/N: So I hope you liked the case. I was really excited writing about it. There's more of it to come. And California means a lot of characters of past seasons are going to be returning. So keep reading. Also, I decided to keep a mild pace in the Jisbon relationship, so that I can put many sweet moments in there and make it seem more real. (Don't worry, there will be sexy times as well ;)) I would love to have your reviews and thoughts on this. I really need the feedback. Helps me get more creative. (Pleasing others is always a good motivation).**

**Next chapter: Guess who's being released from prison. Does Jane really have the insights in this case? What will it be like for Jane and Lisbon to be back in California?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: You guys are amazing! Your reviews really inspired me to write more. I already know what I'm gonna do with this case and I'm so excited for you to read it! Unfortunately, as finals are approaching, updates will probably become slower (believe me, I hate this, too), but I promise I will make up for it once they're over. You can always check my twitter for updates as well. **

**Disclaimer: I don't think my mind would ever be able to come up with such perfect characters as Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon. As always, the credits go to Bruno Heller. **

**Chapter 2: Rainbow Fairytale**

"I thought we were okay", Vega finally broke the silence.

She regretted it right away, as the Agent's lips remained disappointingly sealed.

She wondered if others found themselves in similar awkward situations when around him or if it was just her. She would be so embarrassed if it was the latter.

She looked out her window; disheartened. They had been driving for two hours and the only time Cho had honored her with speech was when Wiley had asked for her on the phone. She wasn't looking at him, so he had needed to call her name.

"We are".

For a moment, she wasn't sure he had talked. Maybe she was having illusions. It could happen to someone when travelling with an unresponsive person. She turned to face him. But searching Cho's face for signs that he had talked was like searching for elevations in a completely flat area.

"Sorry, did you say something?" she asked, baffled.

Cho looked at her; his expression weary.

"I said we are".

"But then why didn't you want me to come?"

Cho sighed, like he had wanted to avoid this conversation. After a moment, he said:

"You're new at this job. Your judgment is influenced by your enthusiasm and your desire to be useful. I can't rely on you under these circumstances", he explained.

Vega took a deep breath, measuring her next words.

"Sir, I understand that that is your opinion of me. But I assure you, I would never endanger my life or yours to prove myself. That would be stupid and reckless", she reassured him.

She wasn't sure, but the Agent's expression seemed like he was finding something humorous among her words. It could also be her imagination of course.

The hum of the car engine faded off and she was surprised they had already reached their destination.

She was confused when Abbott had suggested they visit the family of the first victim. Weren't they supposed to follow Jane's plan?

Then, Abbott had explained: If they were to fool a serial killer, they would need a cover story that would be at least believable. Which meant they couldn't just arrest anyone. And since the first murder was usually where a serial killer's motive lurked, it would be easy for the serial killer to believe they had followed that lead.

Still though, they would need to find someone willing to play the part.

"Do so carefully", Abbott had requested. "You can't reveal too many details of our plan".

Matilda Raffin's relatives resided in Oakland, which was disappointing enough, since it was nowhere near Blue Lake. It just added to the theory that the girls found murdered were completely random.

Doors slammed as they both got off the car. Michelle looked at the beautiful mansion that reared before them, thinking of the tragedy the people that lived inside it had been forced to go through.

Once again, she felt the injustice of the whole situation. It only made her more eager to find the bastard and put him in jail. Though, admittedly, he deserved worse.

They walked the few steps to the front door. Three knocks and one mention of the FBI later, a Mrs. Raffin was standing at the threshold; her expression a questioning mark.

"Hello, ma'am. We're investigating the murder of your daughter. We're really sorry for your loss. We'd hoped you could assist us with finding her killer", Vega explained to her.

"Oh I already know who did it, alright?" the woman said to Michelle's surprise.

"You do?" she asked her, confused.

"Of course. It's humiliating you guys haven't arrested him yet", she scoffed.

It was something in her tone, as if she was insinuating that finding her daughter's killer was solely their concern. Michelle had already started to dislike her.

"We were just assigned this case, ma'am", Cho told her, ignoring her attitude. "Who do you think did it?"

"Jake Rowland. Her boyfriend".

"Did you report this to the police?" Vega questioned, unable to hide her annoyance.

Mrs. Raffin turned to look at her; belittling her with her eyes.

"Oh I didn't need to. He was with her on vacation at the time. 'Course, he said she was kidnapped. But as soon as the police started suspecting him, he ran away. Been missing ever since that day".

"Can we have a picture of him?" Cho asked, taking his pen and police journal to write it down.

"Max", she shouted to the interior of the house. "Go fetch that photo from your sister's desk".

A few minutes later, a little boy appeared at the door, holding what Mrs. Raffin had requested. His fair hair betrayed his sharing the same blood with the woman.

She took it and gave it to them, completely ignoring her son.

"You can keep it", she said to them.

Vega could see why Matilda had fallen in love with the guy. His hair were dark brown, while his eyes had the color of rain; grey or, somebody could say, a really light blue.

"Where were they on vacation?" Cho asked.

"How should I know?" Mrs. Raffin complained.

"You're her mother", Vega reminded her, unable to take her attitude anymore.

"So?" she asked, as if they were talking about the neighbor's dog.

Vega looked at her with disbelief. After a moment, she heard herself say:

"It's no wonder your daughter got murdered by a serial killer".

Cho turned to look at her and she would swear it was the first time she had seen a surprised expression on his face.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Raffin asked.

"I'm just saying. Someone would think you would learn to take better care of your kids, once one of them was dead", she said; her eyes darting to her little son.

The woman stared at her in shock.

Vega turned away; Cho following her. She didn't want to spend another minute with that horrible woman.

"What was that about?" Cho asked her, once they were out of hearing.

"Nothing", she answered.

He didn't question it any further and for once, she was thankful for his lack of prying.

After they had gotten back in the car, he called Abbott to explain the situation.

It looked like they would need to find this Jake Rowland.

Apparently, their cover story had just deserted them.

She stared out the window at the quiet neighborhood. The only other car on the street was a black jeep parked on the far corner. For a moment, she was dazed. She wasn't sure, but she felt like she had seen it before on one of the traffic lights.

Cho turned the key in the ignition, drawing her attention. He was dialing another number on his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" she asked him.

"Jane".

After a four-hour flight from Austin to Los Angeles, the plane was finally touching down.

Lisbon had her eyes closed, letting the senses of smell and touch orientate her. She was currently resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder; her nose buried in the fabric of his dark blue suit; the scent of Patrick Jane flooding her nostrils. She took a deep breath, welcoming it; the corners of her lips twitching to a little satisfied smile that flickered off almost immediately.

A gentle stroke on the top of her head. And a sudden whisper in her ear.

"We're here".

Lisbon made a quiet groan, tightening her grip around his arm. She didn't want to leave her current position.

Jane chuckled. A carefree; genuine sound that made her heart sing.

"We could always take another plane if you want", he suggested; half-serious half-joking.

"Mmm", she agreed; a smile in her voice.

After a moment, she sighed and opened her eyes, detaching herself from him to stretch her muscles.

Outside the window, the morning sky was getting brighter and brighter. Jane's eyes seemed to wander in the horizon; strands of light brushing one side of his face.

It was then she noticed the photo on his lap. The Golden Gate crime scene.

"What have you been doing?" she asked; regarding it with her eyes.

"Oh I was just looking at it", he said. "I always wondered why Golden Gate Bridge is red and not actually golden", he added after a moment.

"If it was golden, it wouldn't be there by now. Someone would have stolen it", she said with sarcasm.

"Oh", Jane said; playing along.

It was then the flight attendant announced their arrival at LAX, bringing Lisbon back to reality. It was official. They were back.

Jane took their suitcases; making full use of his privileges as her boyfriend.

They found their way to the arrivals area quite easily. The place was hectic; the sound of rolling suitcases, people talking and car engines creating a hustle.

They were both silent and Lisbon knew why. It was like waking from a dream. As if the past few years had been a lie. She and Jane had never really left the CBI and they were in L.A. to interview people, just like the old days.

Only now Jane reached for her hand, his eyes full of warmth and affection. She held it and his fist tightened around hers. Once again, she was dazed by the surrealism of it all. Them being together; openly staring in each other's eyes; seeking each other's touch as if it was water they could drink from. It was both surprising and overwhelming. Like it could be over in any moment. Which was what made it scary.

Jane's cell phone rang. He took his hand from hers-a little unwillingly-to bring his cell phone out from his jacket pocket. After a quick glance at the screen, he answered the call.

"Cho. How can I help you?" he said.

Lisbon waited as Cho spoke on the other side of the line, searching Jane's expression for any signs as to what the Agent could be saying. After a few seconds, Jane said:

"Oh that's easy. He's probably following you right now".

He ended the call; an amused expression on his face.

"What was that about?" Lisbon wondered.

Jane told her about some guy named Jake Rowland who was supposed to be the boyfriend of the first victim. Apparently, he had disappeared the day of the murder and now Cho and Vega were trying to locate him.

"But why do you think he's following them?"

"He's been falsely accused of his girlfriend's murder, while the real killer is still out there. He can't go to the police, but he can't find the guy who did it by his own either. Ergo, he secretly follows the police's investigation until they find something".

Lisbon felt the corner of her lips recede to a satisfied smile. Jane followed short; unable to control himself.

"So", Lisbon said; her eyes flirty and playful; her hand moving to hold the fold of his jacket "what do you want to do now? Our part of the mission is not on until tomorrow the least".

She couldn't believe it was her talking like that.

Apparently, Jane couldn't either. He was staring at her mesmerized.

"Believe me, I hate to say this", he said, "but we need to go get a look at that crime scene".

Lisbon looked at him, unable to believe he had just been the one to suggest they needed to work.

"You're really into this", she thought aloud.

"Well, I have to admit, it's a little intriguing", he said honestly.

"Ok. But why do you want to go there?"

"I feel there's something I've missed. And you know how I hate this feeling… So, shall we?" he said, showing her the way, while his other hand moved to the small of her back.

She started walking; a half smile on her lips.

As long as Jane enjoyed himself, he wouldn't leave.

When Jake learned the case had been assigned to the FBI department in Austin, he'd suspected that Agents would be coming here soon to investigate. It was his only chance to find Matilda's killer. So he figured he would wait for them at the airport and follow them from there.

So far they hadn't lead him anywhere.

The Black SUV turned right in the corner and he raised speed to keep up. When he finally made the corner, there was a surprise waiting for him. The Black SUV was turned around; blocking his way. The man and the woman were now pointing their guns to him.

"Sir, get out of the car. Do it now or we'll shoot", the man shouted.

Jake raised his hands; his face white as a sheet. Slowly, he opened the door and exited the vehicle.

"Turn around and put your hands where we can see 'em".

Once the boy did as he requested, Cho lowered his gun and started walking toward him; taking his handcuffs out of his jacket pocket.

"Sir, I can explain-"

"Are you Jake Rowland?" Cho interrupted him, grabbing both of his wrists to pass him the handcuffs.

"Yes", said the boy.

A few moments later, Jake was sitting at the back seat of the SUV who now served as an interrogation room. Cho was standing by the door next to him, Vega was shotgun.

"Why were you following us?" Cho began.

"I-I was trying to find Matilda's killer", Jake said.

"Why?"

The boy looked at both of them, as if he didn't understand the question.

"Because she was my girlfriend!" he said. "We were friends since high school. And when we were finally together, she got killed".

"Where were you at the time?" Cho asked him.

"We were in LA. For vacation".

"Could have been you who did it", Vega pointed out.

"Then why would I report her being kidnapped?" Jake returned.

"When did you do that?"

"As soon as I realized she was missing. They told me they would wait for twenty four hours before they started searching for her. I waited three days. Only to find her hanging upside down from a fucking anchor", Jake explained; his eyes going insane.

"I hope this explains _why_ I need to find the bastard".

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco's crown jewel and one of the wonders of the Modern World, was restless. Cars drove back and forth at exceeding speeds, ignoring the black Chevrolet Trax parked at one side of the road near the yellow crime scene tape that marked the atrocity having happened only twenty four hours ago. Nor did they notice the blond man and the brunette standing by it. Life just carried its ways as always.

The place where the girl had been hanging in the photo was now empty, but the image had been stuck in Lisbon's head. It was unbelievable that someone could commit such a monstrous crime.

She turned to look at Jane. The expression she saw on his face was one she'd come to recognize. He was trying to follow his instincts; his eyes scouring the surroundings. Suddenly, he started moving around; his eyes focused on a particular spot in the horizon.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"I'm trying… to figure out where he stood when he took the photo", he said; his voice sounding busy.

"Ah, here", he said after a moment.

Lisbon went to stand by his side, following his gaze. The exact angle of the photo took form in front of her eyes.

"What I don't understand", Jane said, "is how he managed to hang the girl, take the photo and then leave it on the ground without being seen from anyone".

"Maybe there were no cars passing by at the time".

"Maybe. But why would he risk it? He doesn't seem like the kind of killer that would be so careless".

He started pacing toward the red railings of the bridge.

"Jane, be careful", she asked; genuine concern in her voice. It was overwhelming to see him so close to the edge.

"No need to be worried", he reassured her. "Aaah, Lisbon", he called her then.

"What?" she asked, alarmed.

"You may want to come and see this".

She started walking toward his direction. The closer she came, the clearer became the object Jane was looking at. Once she realized what it was, she came to a sudden stop.

Attached to the railings of the red monument was a device. Plenty of colorful wires were connected to it, along with a switch and a wheel.

"Some kind of a device that helped him pull the rope she was hanging from?" she wondered aloud.

Jane's phone started ringing at that exact moment. He fumbled in his pocket; his eyes still inspecting the strange mechanism.

"Vega. Everything alright?" he asked.

The pause that followed was so long that Lisbon had to turn and see Jane's face to make sure nothing was wrong. But when she saw his frozen eyes, cold ran up her spine.

"Jane?" she called; alarm in her voice.

Jane closed the phone.

"We need to see what's under the water", he said; looking over the railings down to the Pacific Ocean.

"Why?" she asked him.

He turned to look at her.

"He kidnaps his victims many days before he murders them. It's not about catching him. It's about finding the girl".

Silence followed, as she let the realization sink in.

"You think he hides them in the water?" she finally asked.

"Makes sense", he answered.

"But then what's the point of finding them, if they are going to be drowned?"

"Exactly. That's why he has to be keeping them somewhere waterproof. Like a vault or something. Then when time is up, that vault opens, the girl gets drowned and he uses this device to pull her body out of the water".

Lisbon tried to imagine herself trapped in one of those things. She would die from fear before she got drowned. She took her phone out.

"I need a marine team at Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay right now", she said.

"So, Jake, you said you wanna help us catch this killer?" Cho asked the boy.

He raised his head to look at him; hope in his eyes. Seeing that he wasn't kidding, he nodded with all of his strength.

"Alright, then. Here's what you'll need to do".

**A/N:** **I hoped this chapter lived up to your expectations. (I really didn't expect this story to have so much response and now I'm kind of thrilled and scared at the same time lol). Also, I know I said someone would be released from prison in this chapter, but it turns out it's going to be in the next one. Some of you may have already guessed who it is. Feedback as always is a good way to keep me inspired. Also, next chapter might take a little longer for me to write. But please, be patient. I promise you won't regret it ;) I have so many ideas for this. **

9


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! And I am terribly sorry for the delay. These finals are killing me. Anyway, someone pointed out that the colors of the places where the murders happened are not in the order they are in the rainbow. In case more of you have the same question: The colors can't be in order, because then it would be easy to guess the next location and there wouldn't be any reason for the killer to plant clues in the pictures for his next color. The rainbow, as Jane said, is to show what the game is, not the row of colors. Also, I decided to have a soundtrack for each chapter, starting from this one. Just so you get more in the spirit. For this chapter it is: Tortured Heart – Gothic Storm.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 3: Tortured Heart**

"Ah, yes, Wiley?"

"Jane, you wanted to talk to me?" Jason's dry voice was muffled, like he was chewing on something.

Jane took a moment, reconsidering his next words.

A few feet away from him; near the coastline of San Francisco Bay, Lisbon was talking to one of the mariners that had just arrived at the scene. Her authoritative posture was conspicuous in the general blur of movement.

"Jane?" Wylie sounded from the speaker.

He made a rush decision.

"Yes. Would it be easy for you to take down Lisbon's profile and mine from the FBI database?" he said decidedly.

There was a sudden surge of coughing. Jane waited patiently for it to be over.

After a while, Jason finally answered.

"Uh… why?" he asked; suspicious.

Jane had expected this question.

"Last time I checked it was me and Lisbon that were going to wait for the real serial killer to make an appearance. We don't want him to recognize us, do we?" he explained.

"You think he'll check your profiles?"

"Maybe. Let's not take any chances, shall we?"

"Oh-kay, I'll see what I can do", he reassured him.

"Thank you", he said and hanged up before Wylie could pry deeper into the matter.

Lisbon was waiting for him. He realized the frogmen had already gone in the water. Behind her, the moonlight blanched the waves that crashed on the brinks of Golden Gate Bridge; exposing the swimmers as they dived into the ocean. It was kind of poetic, he thought,—what the moon would bring to the surface.

The cold aura of the sea infiltrated his skin, as he rushed to get at her side. He rubbed his hands together, trying to produce some heat. Lisbon, on the other hand, was standing motionless; her shoulders cowered, as if to prevent the cold from inserting her body. Smoothly, he moved the side of his body in order to touch hers. While it wasn't as good as putting an arm around her frame-which he knew she would probably not appreciate while being at work-it served enough as a reassurance and warming effect.

"What did Abbott say?" Lisbon asked; her voice ripping the silence of the night.

Jane recalled his earlier conversation with the Boss, before the phone was handed over to Jason.

"He asked if the plan was still the same", he answered.

"So?" she asked; waiting.

He turned to look at her.

"Well, of course it is. He still has to come and set the whole thing up".

"But what if the girl is already there?"

"She's not", Jane said confidently.

"How can you be so sure?"

"If she was already there, that would mean she would have to stay there for a whole month. By that time, she would have starved to death. What's the point of drowning a corpse?" he reasoned.

Lisbon listened to him carefully. She couldn't help the feeling that there was something wrong about him, though his expression betrayed nothing of the sort. It was rather his aura. It lacked its usual peaceful; calming quality. Instead, it was kind of unnerving. She tried to ignore it, thinking that maybe it was just her.

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes; moving closer to the edge of the coast. She turned to see what had captured his interest.

Far from where they stood, near the bridge, a crease had started taking form in the water. It was gradually becoming deeper and clearer, stirring the water of the surface.

"Oh my God", Lisbon whispered, as it ripped the water apart to let three frogmen resurface; all three of them holding a sizable squared compartment from one side.

It took several minutes for them to carry it to the shore. The shallower the waters became, the more was the surface of the container revealed, bringing it to a final size that matched that of a human body.

Lisbon felt sick, even before they had placed it on the ground.

The first thing that caught her attention was that it was opened on the top; the interior emitting the awful smell of sewage and salt. She wrinkled her nose with disgust.

Jane balanced on his tiptoes to get a better look on the inside. She mimicked him, trying to breathe only through her mouth.

There was sea weed, starfish and dirt everywhere. But there was something else that had managed to repulse her. Though not very distinctive in the dimness of the night, wild scratches streaked the surface of the walls, like abstract art. She felt her stomach turn.

"Lisbon, have you ever watched an illusionist's performance?" Jane asked then, completely disorientating her.

He steadied himself back on his feet.

Lisbon raised one eyebrow. Was he trying to be funny or was he really asking her if she'd ever watched him perform?

Jane smiled shyly. "Yeah, sorry. I don't mean my kind of illusionist. Not the kind that makes you think you can talk to dead people anyway. I mean the ones that perform dangerous acts on stage. You know, like swallowing burning swords and that stuff".

"Oh you mean like… David Copperfield?" She said the first name that came up in her thoughts.

"Nah, he's just an amateur. Anyway, there's this act-it's called the Chinese Water Torture Escape. They tie the illusionist upside down on the roof of a glass tank filled with water. Then he or she has to escape before the water drowns them".

Lisbon was shaken; realizing where he was getting at.

"You think that's what this is?" she fretted.

"Not exactly".

"Then what?"

"Well, first of all, this one is not made of glass", he said, hitting the metal exterior with his fist. "And if you look closely, you'll notice a tiny puncture on the wall".

Lisbon bent forward; narrowing her eyes.

"Oh my God", she muttered; turning to meet his gaze.

"There's one at every side", he explained.

Lisbon let that realization sink in.

"That's how the water flows in", she finally concluded.

Jane nodded. "He lets them drown in there", he said; his voice gloomy.

…..….

"This seems too easy", Michelle murmured, thinking to herself.

They had just crossed Livermore, which left three more hours of driving to Orange Cove. Jake was sprawled on the back seat of the car; fast asleep. His muffled snores accompanied the silent hum of the engine.

"What do you mean?" Cho asked.

"All this careful planning; water cells, kidnappings, puzzles... Either he is a complete psycho, waiting for the police to figure out his game and catch him or, he's a real genius and this is something more than what we think it is", she mulled.

"Like what?"

"I don't know", she answered. After a moment, she turned to face him. "Do you not find it strange at all that he would create a puzzle that reveals his murder style just to let police catch him?" she inquired.

"Maybe he has a plan. Or at least, he thinks he does", Cho remarked.

"What do you mean he thinks?"

Cho took a deep breath, before explaining.

"That's how Jane's plans work", he said. "He gives the killer the illusion that he has the upper hand, when in reality, we do. That's what always gets them arrested".

"Always?"

"Well, most of the times", Cho admitted.

"Jane fails?" she asked; raising her voice involuntarily.

Cho seemed to be thinking.

"Not when the case doesn't affect him personally", he finally said.

There was a sudden thud at the back of the car. Vega whirled; startled. For a moment, she thought Jake had woken up; stirred by their conversation. But his sleeping figure was completely still.

"Did you hear that?" she asked Cho then, who seemed to be focused on the road.

He turned toward her direction; a quizzical look on his face.

"What?"

Michelle stood still; listening. Seconds passed, but there was only the sound of the car. She started considering the fact that maybe it was her imagination, when abruptly the thud came again.

This time Cho had heard it, too. They both exchanged a worried look.

The next moment Cho was pulling over at the side of the highway. Once he secured the car, he motioned for her to cover his tracks. They slowly got out of the car and walked toward the back; each from either side of the vehicle. Cho laid out a hand to open the trunk; warning her with his eyes. She nodded that she was ready; holding her gun.

The door was yanked out of the way.

Vega froze in her position; completely disarmed.

Two terrified hazel eyes were looking up from inside the storage space directly at her. Slowly, she lowered her gun.

"Max?"

….

"Wylie, can you send me a list of the docks in Orange County?"

"Abbott said you and Jane think the girl's gonna be on a ship?" Wylie questioned.

"Yes, or maybe a pier. But a ship seems more likely. Anyway, Jane and I are probably going to spend the night in a hotel. Send me the list once you're done with it", Lisbon requested, peeking at Jane from her driver's seat.

The latter was far lost in his thoughts; looking through his window at the night that passed in a blur. His index finger was touching his lower lip; a pose of him Lisbon had gotten familiar with over the years.

"Yeah, sure… Oh and Lisbon?"

"Yes, Wylie?"

"Don't worry, you and Jane are completely covered. Your FBI profiles had been temporarily removed, just like Jane requested", he said reassuringly.

Lisbon was silent for a moment, trying to fathom what Wylie had just said. She turned to look at Jane; curious.

"Yeah, ok. Thank you", she said to Wylie and ended the call.

"You asked Wylie to remove our profiles?" she inquired.

Jane seemed to jump out of his reverie. He took a moment to answer.

"Ah yes, I did", he admitted.

"Why?"

"I think the answer is obvious", he said, widening his eyes.

Lisbon remembered what Jason had said about being "covered".

"If the killer suspected we might be waiting for him, wouldn't it be more reasonable to think we would send someone under cover?" she reasoned. "No point in knowing our faces in the first place".

"Yeah but what if he notices us by chance? We can't risk it", Jane disagreed.

There was something in his voice, like an overloaded intensity that was lurking just beneath his words. Lisbon turned to read his eyes, dividing her attention between him and the road. And it was then she saw it. That hint of insanity; or at least the outsets of it.

_Oh no_, she thought, remembering how she'd sensed something wrong about him earlier.

"You're worried he'll take an interest in you", she realized.

The moment the words escaped her lips, Jane's careful control was stripped away entirely. The desperation she'd only suspected before was now evident all over his face. The transformation was almost terrifying.

She was suddenly very eager to find a place where she could pull over. They were passing through an uncivilized area, which meant there were trees and starlight all around them. When she finally stopped the car, there was darkness and peaceful quiet everywhere, enveloping them like protective cloaks.

"I-I think…" Jane started; his voice a thin wire. He was avoiding her gaze. "I think you of all people can understand why I would be… worried", he said; finally turning to meet her eyes.

"Jane…" she whispered dejectedly.

For a moment, their eyes spoke for them, forming messages that words could hardly shape; speaking implicit truths.

Finally, Lisbon spoke in a clear voice.

"Jane, this is what we do. You can't let yourself think like that", she tried to reason.

"Well, apparently, I can", he said stubbornly.

"No you can't", she scolded him. "First of all, I am involving myself in this, too. If something happens to me, it's going to be because _I _chose to be a part of this. Not because you did something wrong", she explained.

"Because my guilty conscious is all I care about. Just by involving myself in this, I make myself a target. You think he won't be interested in finding the guy that solved his puzzle? That's exactly what he wants!"

"So what do you suggest we do?" Lisbon contradicted. "Let Cho and Vega take care of the situation all by themselves?"

"I don't know", Jane admitted. "All I know is that I don't want to lose you", he said; his eyes full of sincerity.

Lisbon was startled by the sudden turn of the conversation; the gentleness in his voice. A warming feeling consumed her heart and her chest.

"I don't want to lose you either", she said to him; her voice barely a chirping. She laid out her hand and intertwined her fingers with his. "But we will protect each other. Just like we always do", she reassured him.

Jane stared at her for what seemed like hours. Then, his eyes still apprehensive, he nodded.

Lisbon smiled warmly and squeezed his hand. He looked so vulnerable, she thought. Almost like a lost child. All she wanted to do was stand between him and all the pain that could crash him, protect him with all of her strength.

Slowly, she moved forward, holding his gaze.

It had always been such a challenge for her to touch him at the beginning. He was like a porcelain vase she could break at any moment; closed to himself for so many years that any kind of touch could fracture him; split him up.

However, the longer time they spent together, the closer they got. There was intimacy and familiarity, which made it much easier for her now to close the few inches between them and place her lips on his.

She kissed him gently; tenderly, tasting his lower lip, memorizing its fullness. He kissed her back, his breath hitching. Slowly, he lifted his hand to cap her cheek. There was sweetness and affection in his touch. She returned his caress with equal fondness.

After their lips separated, they remained still; taking in the scent of each other.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

He was looking at her through half-closed lids. It was like the ocean was shining through slits. Her lips twitched to an unconstrained smile. He smiled back at her.

After a while, she found the courage to pull back and start the car again.

They needed to get some rest.

…

_New Folsom Prison, Sacramento._

There was an electric sound and a clink.

Susan stood up, expectation in her eyes.

The exit door slowly opened to reveal the man she had spent the last few months trying to get out of prison.

He was exactly as she remembered him. Tall with strong muscles, deep brown eyes, dark hair with hints of grey at the temples.

A limb on his left foot.

Clutching his walking stick, he started walking toward her, flinching at the sound the cane made as it touched the ground. She felt a tingle of compassion for him. She wondered how he was before his injure, picturing a much more confident; strong man than the one she was facing now.

Tommy Volker approached her; a faint smile on his lips.

"Thank you, Susan. It's really good to be out", he said.

She returned his smile.

"Well, part of it was you. You showed enough of a well-mannered behavior to earn your freedom. Though, admittedly, you'vebeen released under license, which means you still have to be in probation for one year the least. See, while I can see that you've completely changed as a person, it's a little difficult for the Parole Board to just let you go".

"It's ok, dear. It's not like I expected them to do otherwise. I guess I'll just have to wait", he mused.

She smiled at him; feeling admiration.

**A/N: Whew! I really enjoyed writing this. Hope you liked it! Also, in case you didn't understand the way the whole water torture cell works (I honestly tried my best to describe it), google Chinese Water Torture Cell. There's a picture in Wikipedia that will tell you everything. And as I don't want things to get blurry for you, I'm saying this now: Volker has nothing to do with this case. (What can I say? I love multiple villains in a story!) I would love to know your opinions on this chapter! **

**Next Chapter: How many of you wonder what's going on in this serial killer's mind? **

8


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You have no idea how much your comments mean to me. They can defeat any kind of Writer's Block. Your excitement to read becomes my excitement to write. You-are-the-best! Now have this chapter as a reward :) **

**Chapter 4: Polaroid**

"Max, why did you hide yourself in our trunk?" Cho asked the boy.

Max Raffin regarded him with dejected eyes. They were standing on the asphalt; cars driving past them now and then.

Cho didn't need Jane's skills to read the boy's mind. He knew this particular mien from self-experience. The childish need to be into the scheme of things. The anger at being left out. He could see the boy wasn't really regretting his actions. He was just disappointed in being caught. The show of repentance was just that: a show. One he'd put on a couple of times himself when he was a child.

"Will you answer the question?" he demanded.

Vega, who had been observing in heeding silence, raised a restraining hand before him. "It's ok", she said in a friendly voice, "Max, we won't punish you or anything. We just need to know why you were in our car".

Cho waited for the boy's answer, making it clear with his expression that _he _wasn't buying.

"Fine", he finally gave up. "I thought maybe I could help with the investigation. Plus I didn't want to stay home anymore", he confessed.

"How would you help with the investigation?" Cho inquired.

"Me and my sister had a special kind of connection. I could always tell what she was thinking. Same with her. Maybe I could… provide some insight", he said.

"Does your mother know you're here?" Cho asked.

"Like she would care", Max scoffed.

There was a clicking sound. The back door of the car slowly opened. Jake rose from his seat, his sleepy eyes darting around, searching for them.

Before Cho and Vega could react, Max was soaring past them, heading directly at the teenager.

"You!" he shouted, shoving him with his hands, "How could you let her be kidnapped? I trusted her with you! _She_ trusted you!"

"Max!" Jake exclaimed; taken aback.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Cho intervened, trying to loosen the boy's grip on Jake's shirt. Vega also grabbed him from the other side.

"Stop it!" Cho yelled, finally separating them.

A few moments passed as the tension withdrew itself.

"Max, I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything to prevent it", Jake apologized.

"What do you mean you couldn't? Where were you, jackass?"

"I was back at our hotel. I woke up to find a message where she said she'd be back in two hours. But she never did", Jake explained; his voice at the verge of insanity.

Vega listened to him with fresh interest. "She left a message?" she wondered aloud.

Jake drew his gaze toward her. "Yeah, why?"

"Did she say where she was going?" Michelle asked him.

Jake shook his head. "She just said she wanted to see something". He turned to regard Max then. "So you don't think I did it?" he asked.

Max seemed to have calmed down. "You wouldn't be standing if I did".

"Enough", Cho interrupted. "Max, you will go back home… once we're done with this operation".

Max who was about to protest, relaxed his posture.

….

_Day of confrontation_

Slowly, the blankness of sleep receded, letting the first strands of sunlight brush her eyelids. She tried to repel it, squeezing her eyes shut.

Then she heard it: an overpowering kind of silence. Not the kind that came with sleep, since she could perceive no deep rhythmical breathing at her side.

However, the feathery weight on her left hand told a different tale.

She opened her eyes. Only to fall into the green-lit ocean that were his. He didn't seem to react at being caught staring. Instead, his features were relaxed; his eyes washed in deep thought.

She gave him a quizzical look, finally succeeding in earning a sleepy smile from him.

"Hi", he greeted her.

She freed her hand from his touch to push away a lock of blond hair from his forehead. "Hi", she greeted back, her voice thick with sleep.

"Slept well?" he asked her.

"Yeah, you?"

"Uh…" he grimaced.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't know… three-four hours?" he mused.

She stared at him in shock. "God, Jane".

"A simple Jane would suffice", he said in a solemn voice.

"I'm serious", Lisbon reprimanded.

"Well, I was thinking…" he confessed.

"What?" she asked, though she could already guess what it was, judging from the conversation they'd shared the previous night.

His lips pressed together, forming a thin line across his face. After a moment, they loosened up.

"Remember when we first met?" he asked suddenly, surprising her.

"You mean when you provoked poor Hannigan to punch you in the face so that I would feel guilty for your sorry ass and accept you in my team?"

"Well, this is a way to remember it", he agreed.

She smiled despite herself. "Okay, how do you remember it?"

He was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words. Lisbon sensed that this was going to get serious.

"You see... after Angela's and Charlotte's death, I would manipulate anyone to get to my purpose. I didn't care".

Lisbon cowered her shoulders, preparing herself for whatever painful truth his lips would utter next.

"But then, that day, I looked into your emerald eyes; the nobleness and honesty in their depths, and all I wanted was to treat you with fairness and discretion. It was so overwhelming and I didn't like it. I couldn't afford to be caring. Not when I was so determined to take my revenge. But I just couldn't help it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see you as another pawn. Of course, I realize now that it is what kept me sane back then—this connection to my… human side", he admitted.

Lisbon was speechless, her mind travelling back to that particular moment, remembering the feelings of loss and damage she'd derived from him, trying to relive the moment from his perspective. But he was wrong.

"Patrick, you were already human enough. You always were. It's just that sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's not because of me your obsession didn't corrupt you. It's because your heart would never allow you to become something else", she told him.

"Maybe. But still, I was kind of lost at the time. And you helped me in …not losing myself any further".

"Why are you telling me these things?"

He locked her eyes in a firm gaze. "Because I need you to know exactly what you mean to me".

She felt a lump in her throat; a sudden moisture in her eyes. Those words. She wondered if he realized how similar they were to the ones he'd used three years ago, before abandoning her in a godforsaken beach. It was no wonder she felt an instant repulsive reaction at them. She searched for a different subject of conversation and suddenly remembered they had a plan to follow through.

"We have a long road trip ahead of us. We'd better start getting ready", she said and drew the covers aside to let herself out of bed.

….

"Should we eat something before hitting the road?" Jane suggested.

Lisbon, who was just about to check them out of the hotel, stopped in her tracks. "You mean like breakfast?" she inquired.

"Yeah, why not? We still have time", he claimed.

She considered that for a moment.

"Cho and Vega are gonna be waiting for our signal to carry out the arrest", she reasoned, her professionalism dominating.

"Oh come on, I'm sure they could use some rest before the whole action starts".

The idea of starting her day like a normal person sang to her. But she knew that this kind of privilege was not meant for the life she'd chosen. She wondered then if he'd somehow sensed this particular need of hers, since he always seemed to know what she was thinking.

"Jane and Lisbon", announced someone then, his voice sounding strangely familiar.

They both exchanged a quizzical look, before turning to see if it was who they thought it was.

Lisbon took in the man's sparse white hair, the warmness of his eyes, his thick beard and compared them to the image that had been imprinted in her memory for years.

"I thought I'd never see you two again. Guess I'm not that lucky after all", the old man said, feigning a grumpy voice.

Her lips stretched to an over-extended smile. "Virgil?" she exclaimed.

Minelli smiled warmly at her. "It's good to see you, Teresa". He turned to regard Jane. "You too, Patrick".

Jane nodded shyly. "It's good to see you, too, Virgil", he said whole-heartedly. "Nice beard", he commented.

"Thank you", said their old boss.

Lisbon could see that there was a silent understanding going on between the two of them. She mentally noted to ask Jane about it later.

"So what brings you here?" she asked Virgil.

"Oh I'm here with my wife, May. We're enjoying the casino", he explained.

Lisbon was about to react at this news, when Jane's voice sounded first.

"May?" he repeated with a spark of enthusiasm. "Is that…?"

Lisbon turned to look at him.

"Yes, she is", Minelli answered. "The one you introduced to me. I was trying to find you and say thank you, but… you were busy", he explained.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm glad you two worked it out", Jane said.

"Where is she?" Lisbon asked then.

"She's upstairs", Virgil answered.

The old man studied them for a moment. "I heard CBI was shut down", he said, throwing furtive glances at Jane.

"Yeah", Lisbon admitted. "We're with the FBI now", she said.

"Oh, glad to hear that. I hope this man isn't giving you a hard time anymore, is he?" he said, pointing at Jane.

Lisbon stole a glance at her boyfriend, not sure if she should share the news of their relationship or not. She decided it wasn't the time or the place for such revelations.

"We've learned to tolerate each other", Jane answered, somehow reading her thoughts.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, bringing her back to reality.

"Actually, you will excuse us Virgil, but we're kind of in the middle of a case right now", she said. "I hope we can catch up at some point".

"I understand", Virgil said. "I hope so, too".

Hesitantly, she moved closer to give him a warm hug. Minelli returned her gesture, just like her dad used to do before her mother died.

"You two need anything from me, please don't hesitate to tell me", Virgil announced after they broke their hug.

Lisbon nodded, feeling suddenly emotional. "Thank you", she said warmly.

Once Virgil left, she answered the call.

"Yes, Cho, we were just checking out. You can carry on with the plan".

….

_Orange Cove, Fresno_

After spending the night in Reedley, a nearby city, they were finally in position. The adrenaline was pulsing in Michelle's veins, ever since they had crossed the sign that welcomed them to the city.

The door at the driver's seat opened, startling her out of her reverie. Cho sat in the car and closed the door behind him. He turned around, toward the back of the vehicle, holding the item he had bought in his hand.

"Here", he said.

Jake, who had lowered down to avoid being witnessed in the car with them, took it and started examining it.

Max stretched in his seat to take a look as well. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's a Polaroid Instant Digital Camera", Jake answered, his voice sounding busy. He drew his eyes toward Cho. "So where is this going to take place?"

"There's a Water District around the city for the irrigation system. This is the exact address you'll need to be. You know the rest", Cho explained, handing him the address.

"Yes, I do", Jake said with determination.

"You're ready?" Cho asked him.

"Let's do it".

…..

"_Arrested: Polaroid Serial Killer"_.

The man sitting behind the counter drew his stare upwards, casually sipping his strawberry juice through a straw.

"Excuse me ma'am", he said in a deep, elegant voice; raising his finger, "can you raise the volume on that please?"

The bartender nodded politely and did as he requested.

The screen displayed a middle-aged Korean man talking to the media.

"_The killer had been leaving photos of his victims at the crime scenes. At first, we thought it was some sick game of his, but then one of our colleagues realized the photos were a puzzle, one that indicates his next murder location. We don't know why, but he seemed to have an obsession with the colors of the rainbow. See the first victim was found in Blue Lake, then the second in Greenbrae and the last in Golden Gate Bridge. It was easy to figure out that the next location would have to do with orange, since the last photo displayed a fake sunset. Orange Cove was the first place we visited. Luckily, we found Jake Rowland, the long-missing boyfriend of the first victim, taking photos with a Polaroid camera. We believe he was plotting his next murder"._

The screen changed to show a footage of a young man shouting at the camera, as he was being forced into the back seat of a SUV.

"_I was trying to help with the investigation! I would send the photos to the police to warn them myself!" he was screaming._

The screen changed back to the Korean man.

"_In the end, it was really a perv with an obsession for photography and rainbows", _he said.

"_In other news…"_

The voice of the woman reporter was barely a chirping in his ears. He finished his strawberry juice making loud sipping noises. After fumbling in his jacket pocket for money, he placed several dollars on the counter and turned toward the exit door.

Once his back was at the bartender, he let a smirk take full display on his face.

The bells at the door jingled as he pushed it back. He casually fixed the collar of his long black coat, before walking out into the soft drizzle.

_Time for some action._

**A/N: Your reviews are what keeps this story going on. Let me know what you think of it so far. Also, tell me if you found the Jisbon part a little bit cheesy, because I wasn't sure when I was writing it. Anyway, I thought Patrick needed to say this stuff to Lisbon, because she seems to be blind at what considers his feelings for her. **

**Next Chapter: Don't miss the final conclusion of Jane's plan.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So… the promo of 7x10 has literally ruined me right now, but here, new chapter :)**

**Chapter 5: Sunset Miracle**

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Lisbon asked, her gaze fluttering restlessly through the windscreen of the car.

She assimilated the busy life at the dock; people setting anchor or sailing out of the assemblage; numerous boats and ferries swaying tediously on the oscillating waters of the sea. It was quite a large scope of area to keep an eye on.

"Positive", Jane reassured her.

She cast a wary glance toward his direction. She always took his positivity as a bad sign.

"Why San Clemente? There are so many other docks on this list", she remarked, indicating the list Wylie had sent to her.

"Clementines", Jane answered.

"What?"

"Little orange fruits—"

"I know what they are", Lisbon interrupted him.

"But then why did you ask?" Jane complained.

"I can't believe we just based the outcome of an entire operation on fruits", she said.

"Lisbon", Jane sought her attention, "it is the right place. I'm ninety nine percent sure of it".

"Stop being so positive. You're making me nervous", she grumbled.

Jane raised his hands defensively, a comical look on his face. Lisbon ignored him.

"How are we gonna know which of these ships it is anyway?" she wanted to know.

"That's easy", Jane remarked. "None of them is".

The silence that followed was filled with intense question marks on her part.

"They are all private boats and ferries. He's going to choose something more public. Something that will provide him with an audience", he deduced.

Lisbon narrowed her eyes. "An audience", she repeated; smearing the word with doubt.

Jane nodded.

…..

"Wylie".

At the mention of his name, the young agent drew his eyes away from the screen of his computer to regard him with promptitude.

"I want to know any reports of kidnappings that are filed today throughout the state of California", he requested.

"Got it, Boss", Wylie said, immediately putting his fingers at work.

He let the agent take his own initiative on the matter and headed toward the fish bowl.

Jake Rowland was sitting behind the desk; his hands crossed on the smooth surface. As soon as he entered the room, the boy drew his gaze upwards. Abbott could sense the aura of vindication and relief he emitted.

"Mr. Rowland", he announced; taking a seat opposite him. "You have our full-time protection until we catch this killer. I want to personally thank you for the risk you chose to take in order to help us with this operation. Now I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind", he said.

"Believe me, there's nothing I want more than to see this monster suffer. What do you want to ask?"

"We're trying to figure out if there's a certain similarity in the way the killer chooses his victims. It would help us determine the profile of the girl he's going to kidnap next and therefore be prepared when the report of her kidnapping comes in", Abbott explained.

"Okay", Jake said.

"First of all—"

"Where is he? Where do you keep that son of a bitch?" a girl was suddenly shouting in the bullpen, cutting him off.

"Stay here", Abbott ordered Jake.

He walked out of the office, maintaining his authoritative looks. The girl seemed to be in her early twenties; blond with streaks of pink on her hair; multiple piercings and flashy clothes. As soon as he entered her visual field, he became the aim of her wrath. Wylie, sitting behind his desk, cast a worried look toward her, as if waiting for the storm to begin.

"He's in there?" she demanded, her eyes going crazy.

"Who are you, miss?" Abbott inquired, using his firm; imposing voice.

The girl finally hesitated, startled by the expression on his face. "The name's Laura Gonzalez", she said sullenly. "I'm Anna's girlfriend. Was, that is", she added in a sulky tone.

Anna Lopez, Abbott recalled. The name of the last victim.

"Miss Gonzalez, we will make sure Anna's killer will be met with all the justice he deserves. Now if you try and do anything reckless, I'm afraid I will have to arrest you. It's your choice", Abbott warned her.

Laura looked at him with disbelief. "You think I care?"

"Look at me!" Abbott shouted at her. "You think I will let you commit murder in here? You will be behind bars before you get the chance to get anywhere near him! Is that what you want?" he inquired.

She gave him a resentful look, but finally seemed to comply.

"Uh… Boss", Wylie called for his attention then.

"What is it, Wylie?"

"I think I found something".

…..

Vega glanced at her tight-lipped partner from the corner of her eye with a feeling of submit. She longed for a little conversation now. If not for any other reason, just so that she could draw her mind away from the mission itself; the endless hours of waiting for their bait to work; the suspense and the feeling of not knowing what would happen.

And Max wasn't exactly the ideal person to share her concerns with.

Suddenly, she realized she wished a certain smiling blond agent was there. Wylie always seemed to find the best ways to distract her, either with a silly remark or with his awkwardness. It really helped her take things less seriously at work and blend in. He would be the ideal company at that moment.

But he wasn't there.

"So", she made an attempt at conversation, "this is where you used to work?" she asked Cho.

"No", he answered.

"But I thought—"

"I used to work in Sacramento", he clarified.

"Oh", she remarked. Then, after a moment, she continued. "Do you… miss it?"

He took longer to answer this time. Just as she thought he'd decided to ignore her, he said: "I miss my friends".

As the last word escaped his lips, his eyes seemed to warm with reminiscences of the past.

Vega recalled what Wylie had told her about Jane and Lisbon's old CBI team. If she wasn't mistaken, there were two more of them. "Where are they now?" she inquired.

"They quit law enforcement, so that they could raise their children properly", he explained.

"And you haven't seen them since?"

"I have. But it was different when we worked together", he said.

His phone rang at that particular moment.

"Boss", he answered.

The conversation carried on between them for a few minutes. Finally, Cho lowered his hand and turned to face her.

"Wylie says there have been no reports of missing girls today", he announced.

Vega realized from his tone that there was more to that. She waited for him to continue.

"But there have been a lot of them throughout the past months".

….

"Still nothing", Lisbon announced in a dull voice.

"Patience, woman", Jane said, calm and self-assured as always.

They had lowered in their seats as a measure of precaution. The light inside the car was becoming gloomier, as the day outside faded into a dusk.

Her index finger was playing nonchalantly with the keys at the ignition, producing a rattling sound. After a moment, Jane's splay hand moved to cover hers, putting an end to her artless music. He took her small hand in both of his. Instinctively, she curled her fingers around his and let the warmth of his touch spread through her arm to the rest of her body.

"This is better", she remarked; her voice barely a whisper.

Jane smiled affectionately.

Just then the air filled with the deep uproar of a horn. Lisbon jumped on her seat; startled. She yanked her hand out of Jane's and drew her eyes toward the sea. The next moment she felt her breath catch.

A large cruise ship had just entered the dock, a party going on at the deck. It was just finishing its spin into the quay. But Lisbon could already see it; the characteristic drawing of a sun on its side, followed by the very ostentatious name of the ship: Sunset Miracle.

"Told you", Jane murmured, equally awed at the sight of the enormous vessel.

Lisbon couldn't find her voice. She watched as the anchor protruded from the prow of the ship and lowered into the sea. Everything seemed to happen very slowly, almost like in a dream. The ship lined the border of the wharf and opened its mouth to let cargo in and out; vehicles that varied from small cars to trucks carrying heavy supplies. The container with the girl could be on any of them.

"Let's get ready", she said, instinctively drawing her hand on her hip, where she carried her gun. She brought her cell phone out of her jacket pocket.

"Cho, this is it. Stay put. We can't risk the killer seeing you around here", she warned him.

"Understood", he said in a clear voice.

"Wait for our signal", she added.

"Okay".

She turned to look at Jane. He seemed to be observing the people that were partying on the top. She followed his gaze.

Though the details were unclear from this distance, she could discern people in swimwear and water splashing all around. She imagined a large swimming pool at the center of the deck and members of the staff carrying refreshments.

Time passed and the dull music kept playing with vigor.

"There", Jane said then. "Lisbon, look", he pointed with his finger toward the rear of the ship.

She did.

At first, she saw nothing. But then, slowly, she realized the crane unit for lowering rescue boats was being activated. Only there was no boat hanging from it.

Alarmed, she opened the door of her car and stepped out. Soon after, she heard Jane joining her.

She could see him clearly now. A man hovering just behind the hem of the ship. And just beside him, a cart with a huge metal compartment on it.

"Let's go", she said.

Cho met her at the entrance of the ship. After flashing their badges in a haste, they launched inside. For a while, it was all climbing stairs and running on decks. Reaching the top of the ship, they started making their way through the crowds of people, pushing and shouting at them to move away.

When they finally reached the stern of the ship, Lisbon could see a container similar to the one they'd found in San Francisco Bay hanging halfway into the water. She drew her gaze upwards to the man that was controlling the davit.

"Stop what you're doing right now!" she ordered, pointing her gun at the man.

"Do as she says!" Cho warned him, mimicking her.

The man whirled around; his eyes widening with shock. Just in time, Lisbon heard Jane's steps catch up with them.

"Woow, let's take it easy, guys", the man said, raising his hands in the air.

Jane walked past them, toward him.

"Jane, what are you doing?" Lisbon asked him, warning in her voice.

He ignored her, adjusting his position to stand directly in front of the man. Finally, he waved a hand at his face.

"Lisbon, you can lower your guns", Jane said. "This man is hypnotized".

…..

The crane unit was in operation again.

Lisbon was staring at the container that gradually made it back to the top; trying to imagine what they would find inside. An over-traumatized girl asking for help? A girl that had passed out from fear and panic? She didn't know.

Cho had taken the hypnotized man in custody. Jane would try and find his trigger once they took care of the girl. _If_ he was hypnotized, which she highly doubted.

There was a sound of finality as the unit reached its ultimate point. Α separate unit of ropes disappeared into the tank through the rim of the top cover.

Lisbon braced herself, glancing at Jane for emotional support. But the latter was utterly calm and composed.

They laid out their hands in sync and placed them on top of the container. She took in a deep breath to gather her strength and pushed. Ever so slightly. But the top lid remained intact. She pushed harder. Same result.

Just as the feeling of failure was about to overpower her, Jane's hands started trailing the surface of the compartment. She watched him carefully, until finally one of his hands came to an abrupt stop. His gaze locked hers in a meaningful stare, before his fingers hooked around an imperceptible protuberance near the top and started pulling toward them.

Finally, the lid slid out of the way.

Lisbon balanced on her tiptoes to look inside, only to feel her heart sink in her chest.

The container was empty, but for a single piece of paper hanging from the other end of the rope that went inside. Jane took it and unfolded it.

There were two words typed on it. Two very dreadful words.

_Wrong Color._

"Wrong color? What does that mean?" she asked, looking at Jane for answers.

He seemed to be in the middle of a contemplation. Finally, his eyes lit with awareness.

"Oh no", he muttered.

"What?" Lisbon questioned, alarmed.

"Lisbon, the girls. That's why they are hanging upside down. It's a message".

"What do you mean? What message?"

"The tarot card. The Hanged Man. It means _choose. _I was wrong. He doesn't just plant one color. He plants two".

"Two?" Lisbon exclaimed.

Jane nodded with dread.

"Lisbon", he said. "The bridge. It was red".

**A/N: A cliffy. I couldn't resist. Also, I've noticed a lack of response lately. Please, if you read and like the story, take a moment to leave your review. As a new writer, it would really help me figure out my strengths and weaknesses and try to improve. (It also helps as a reassurance). **

**Next Chapter: How will this mistake affect Jane? Are the victims completely random after all?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I was mourning over Vega's (totally unfair) death. It will be the hardest thing for me to write about her now. Anyway, I'll try to ignore the show and pretend that in this universe this brilliant girl still lives and thrives. Again, thanks for the reviews! The score for this chapter is: No Prisoners, Only Trophies by Steve Jablonsky (I think it really fits the mood and it has sort of a Mentalist tone to it).**

**Chapter 6: Ghosts of the Past**

_Redondo Beach, Los Angeles_

Jane gazed directly into the lifeless eyes of the girl that rested in the middle of the air, struggling to retain the veil of numbness that prevented his inner chaos from making it to the surface.

_She was so young_, the voice in his mind kept repeating with a hint of despair. _So full of life._

Yet here she was, hanging brutally from a rope bolstered on two successive pillars. The famous Municipal Pier of Redondo Beach would be forever smeared with her vicious murder.

He'd done it again, he thought, flinching at the words as they crossed his mind. He had provoked a serial killer and it had resulted in the death of someone.

Of course, the mere guilt he felt now was only an echo of the unbearable pain and regret that had crippled him the first time. Still, it was there.

Instinctively, his eyes sought Lisbon, trying to convey some ease to his agitated soul. She was with the rest of the team, helping the local police force to bring the body down. He watched her petite frame; the way it set off the firmness of her movements, the strength of her personality. She was so determined to maintain the safety of the world, she didn't realize her own frailty. How long would they go around playing detectives, before she realized the real danger it portended?

Withdrawing his eyes, he caught Abbott examining him from his orchestrating position near one of the columns; his face ridden by the staid expression he took when he was valuing situations. Jane felt surprised for a moment. Could he _see _him?

"Jane", Cho called for his attention then, coming toward his direction.

Jane drew his eyes away; trying to hide his bafflement. He didn't realize what Cho was holding out to him at first. Soon though, the pulsating colors of the picture forced their way to his attention. His eyes fixed on the gruesome work of art as he laid out his hand to take it from Cho.

It was a compression of the sickness that lay before his eyes. Only somehow, enlarged. For one thing, the lower part of the image was washed in a luminous violet that painted the entire ocean on the background. And as it reached the top, it faded in the azure of the sky. The result was a purplish-blue color.

"Where did you find this?" he asked Cho then.

"It was stack on the column", he answered.

"Where exactly?"

Cho gave him a dubious look, obviously wondering how this mattered to the case. But the agent knew better than asking him questions. He walked him to the column in question and pointed toward a spot that hovered just above their heads. Jane could discern the remnants of glue on it.

"Hmm…" he remarked.

"What?"

It was Abbott who asked, taking an interest in their query. Jane threw him a furtive glance, but otherwise tried to act like their former silent exchange never happened.

"Usually when you write or put something on the wall, you target the spot that is directly opposite your eyes. This guy is seemingly tall", he explained.

"I see your point", Abbott said. "But still, it doesn't really help finding his identity".

"Well, it's always good to have an idea of what you're dealing with", Jane said.

…

"So, how was your first session?"

"My shrink is quite delightful", Volker remarked, his lips thinning to a smile.

Susan helped him climb the stairs of his porch. "Glad to hear you liked it. You know, usually these things can be quite overwhelming", she commented. "Anyway", she said as they reached his front door. "Tomorrow you will be assigned your fair share of community work. Remember, you can't leave the house at nonworking hours—visits to your shrink excluded of course", she reminded him, using her professional voice.

"Yes, I know", he said conformingly. "Report to my probation officer whenever I'm asked to—which can be at random times in the day—or the monitor at my foot will be activated. Then, I'd better be sleeping or in the bathroom, because…"

He crossed his hands as if he was being handcuffed; his face ridden by a waggish expression.

Susan smiled. "Well, be glad I managed to convince them of giving you the standard supervision, instead of the intensive one, which would mean constant GPS monitoring and computer management", she told him.

"Yeah", he remarked, locking her gaze. "Again, thank you", he said with his usual charm.

"Goodnight, Volker", she said as she turned around to leave.

"Goodnight to you, too", she heard him say in return.

The door of the quiet; secluded residence opened and Volker walked inside. Once he was secured in his privacy, he straightened up his body and got rid of his walking stick, the wood producing a clattering sound as it fell on the floor. Every smiling muscle on his face had receded in a shadowy expression.

His eyes fixed on the dark abyss of his living room, imagining shapes that were not quite there. Shapes that had a permanent incision in his thoughts.

Not bothering with the lights, he made his way to his bedroom at the rear of the house.

His laptop was as he had left it on the desk near the window. He walked around his bed and seated himself comfortably in the chair in front of it. For a few seconds, he just stared at the dark screen. Then, with a smooth tap of his finger on the touchpad, the screen illuminated the room. And finally, there, the shapes in his mind acquired a substantial existence.

All the tabs that were opened on the browser displayed her name.

_Teresa Lisbon involved in the murder of Thomas McAllister… Chief of police in Washington… Transferred in the FBI department in Austin, Texas… _

And about a dozen other articles of cases she'd been involved in.

Images of his time in prison flashed before his eyes; the most vibrant of them all: a knife landing on his knee, his hand clutching the hilt.

Of course, injuring himself had been the easiest part. So had making it seem like his cellmate had done it. The hardest part had been using his injure to evoke sympathy. And of course, having to use a walking stick wherever he went. Even after his injure was properly healed.

It was during the second year of his incarceration that he'd heard the whispers: the prison was getting overcrowded, the judges were considering candidates for release. He knew that just playing nice wouldn't be enough to have him considered. On the other hand, making himself look like the victim of another prisoner's wrath had a member of the Council vouching for his eligibility. As it turned out, Susan Warth was quite an easy person to beguile.

It had taken him years to get out, but his patience had been rewarded. Now all he had to do was find _her_.

"Please, report your current situation", said the recorded voice in the intercom.

Volker pressed the button to answer. Briefly, he named his whereabouts. Once he was done with that, he turned off his laptop and rose on his feet. An idea crossed his mind then. The next report wouldn't come for hours. That gave him enough time for a little walk.

….

Abbott observed his unit from afar. They had borrowed the interrogation room of the local police department to let Jane have his way with the hypnotized man, whose name they'd found was Alan Loop. The consultant had the man's gaze locked and was using his calm; practiced voice to guide him out of his trance, his hand occasionally tapping him on various parts of his body. It was the first time he was seeing of this ritual and he had to admit, it was quite fascinating.

But the pale expression he'd witnessed on the man a while ago was still hovering before his eyes. He knew Jane long enough now to understand when the consultant was getting out of his depth. He also knew the exact reason this was happening. It was currently standing right next to him, watching the process.

As a Supervising FBI Agent, there were times Abbott had to make some tough calls. And if you asked him, this was one of those times. Because while he valued Jane and Lisbon's contribution to the team, he couldn't ignore Jane's tendency to overreact when the other agent's life was threatened. Especially when his insight wasn't one hundred percent accurate.

"Lisbon", he called.

The agent heard him at once and turned toward his direction. He gestured for her to join him. Lisbon spared one last look toward Loop—probably unwilling to miss the moment of his "awakening"—before she came to meet him.

She waited for him to speak. Abbott chose his next words carefully.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take you and Jane off the case", he said.

He saw the agent's growing disconcertment in her eyes before he heard it in her words.

"What? Why?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice low.

"You two are…" Abbott fought to find the right word, one that wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable. She obviously didn't know he knew. "…close", he finally said.

The agent blushed anyway. But the most dominant feature on her face was the infuriation in her eyes. Abbott continued. "Don't worry. I'm just observant. It doesn't mean the rest of the team can see it, too. Anyway, thing is… Jane can't function properly when your safety is threatened", he said.

"What? That's nonsense. I'm a cop", she protested.

"And a very good one", he agreed. "But Lisbon, you have to understand. I can't let you and Jane near the rest of the team considering your involvement with each other".

"Involvement! It's like you don't know me, Boss. I would never let my personal life interfere with my job", she asserted.

"I know that. But I can't say the same thing goes for Jane. From now on, you will offer your services to this case as consultants", he announced.

"You mean Jane will be a consultant. I will just sit down doing nothing. And meanwhile, my teammates will be risking their lives somewhere out there".

"Fair enough. Let me tell you my point of view. Jane has done a mistake. He failed to see a very important detail in the killer's puzzle. So suddenly he doesn't have the upper hand. Now let's say you and the others involve yourselves in a dangerous situation—a close call with the serial killer. Don't you think he would risk the team's safety to save you?"

"No, he wouldn't do that", she said, shaking her head to highlight her answer.

"Well, of course, he wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. But in the rush of the moment, he wouldn't be able to think clearly", Abbott reasoned.

"So what, every time the action gets too dangerous now, you'll pull me off?"

"This is a special situation Lisbon. We both know Jane's history with serial killers. I'm not questioning your skills as a cop here. I assure you I consider you one of the best we have. And I know you'd sacrifice your life for your team. It's just that you can't help Jane's investment in you".

Before Lisbon could answer to that, the man in question appeared at her side.

"I can't find his trigger. It's probably something verbal", Jane said casually. Then, as he seemed to notice their expressions, his face grew serious. "Something wrong?" he questioned, looking at both of them.

"I'll let you two talk", Abbott said, sensing the sudden tension between them. He went to join Cho and Vega.

…..

Jane had learned by now that when Lisbon wore that particular expression—eyes blazing with anger and disappointment, jaw tensed and lips stubbornly sealed—she needed time and space to make peace with her own deranging thoughts, before she unleashed them on him. Only difference now was: he had no idea what those thoughts were about; which was equal to having a bomb and not knowing how to defuse it.

He watched her reticently as they rounded the car to occupy their respective seats, trying to guess at her thoughts. What could Abbott have said to her to make her angry at him? The tentative look the man had cast toward him at Redondo Beach flashed before his eyes.

On second thought, the sooner he let the bomb explode, the faster things would get back to normal.

"What's wrong, Lisbon?" he asked, at the same time that she said: "Did you talk to Abbott?"

"I talked to Abbott many times, though I don't know which topic of conversation you're referring to exactly", he quibbled.

"Fair enough. Did you ask Abbott to take us off the case?" she demanded.

For a moment, he was stunned. "I swear I didn't say anything", he said truthfully.

"Are you sure?" she insisted.

"Yes", he answered, locking her gaze.

Her green eyes dipped in his, not sure if he was lying to her. He couldn't take this anymore. "What did Abbott say to you?" he asked her.

"Well, as you've already heard, we are suspended", she said each word separately.

Relief washed through his body. Though, admittedly, part of him was unhappy for her unhappiness. So he had to ask. "Why?"

"Because… Abbott thinks your feelings for me would probably put the rest of the team at risk".

So Abbott did _see _him earlier that day. "Well, can't say he's wrong", he admitted, lowering his gaze.

He heard her heave a weary sigh. "Jane…" she whispered, but other than that, said nothing else. For a while, she was soundless. He knew this was against her best instincts. Saint Teresa defying her duty toward the country; her loyalty to her teammates? He hated himself for doing this to her. She deserved to be able to decide for herself. He had no right interfering with her love for her job. After all, it was one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her in the first place.

If only his fear of losing her was at a normal level. If only it was a thought he could push at the back of his mind and tell Abbott he could handle himself. Instead, it was a constant nuisance in his consciousness. An echo of the unbearable pain that would follow her death. A palpable reality held in reserve by a very thin, breakable wall.

"So what? We go back home now?" Lisbon said, much to his surprise.

Jane turned to look at her, his hope rehabilitated. "Well, I can think of one or two places you'd been dying to visit the moment we got here", he said; feeling much lighter.

"Really?" Lisbon said, a reluctant smile flickering on one corner of her lips.

"Really", he said craftily.

….

Wylie kept glancing at the entrance of the local police department, waiting for his colleagues to come out of the building. Up until now, he'd only seen Jane and Lisbon, who had hurried in their car. Judging from the expressions on their faces, it was better for him not to join them. Hesitantly, he cast a look toward the rearview mirror.

Meeting the boy's keen stare, he withdrew his eyes at once; feeling suddenly awkward.

Finally, much to his relief, he saw Vega coming toward the car; Cho and Abbott following her. The three agents crossed the street and sat in the vehicle; Abbott occupying the passenger's seat and Cho with Vega sitting in the back with Max. He realized then that Jane and Lisbon's Chevrolet Trax was no longer in sight.

"Where did Jane and Lisbon go?" he wondered aloud.

The focus of attention shifted toward Abbott. Apparently, the other two agents had the same question.

"They won't assist us in this case anymore", said the Boss.

"What? Why?" Vega protested.

"This case does no good to Jane. And since I can't trust he will stay away from it, I need Lisbon to keep him in check", Abbott explained. "Now, what are the leads we have?"

"Well, since Alan Loop remains hypnotized, they're not much", Vega answered.

"What about the colors?" Wylie suggested. "Jane said they're violet and indigo".

"We can't follow that lead", Abbott said. "We would be playing his game again and we all know how that turned for us. Plus we don't really know when he's going to kill again".

"So what then?" Wylie asked.

"Well, you said Maria Fletcher's kidnapping was reported one month ago. Which means he kept her somewhere all this time. We need to find that place".

"You think he keeps other girls there?" Vega inquired.

"Maybe".

"How do we find it?" Cho asked, taking part in the conversation.

"We need to interrogate each of the victims' relatives for starters", Abbott answered.

"Well, we already have three of them", Wylie remarked, casting a glance toward Max, who watched them quietly from his position between Cho and Vega.

"Three?" Vega inquired.

"Jake, Max and Laura Gonzalez, the third victim's girlfriend. She tried to attack Jake earlier today, but Abbott prevented it", Wylie explained to her.

"Ok, let's question them first and then call in the rest of them", Abbott ordered.

Wylie was about to turn the key in the ignition, when abruptly, Max's voice sounded for the first time.

"It's funny", the boy remarked.

They all drew their eyes upon him.

"What's funny?" Cho asked him.

"Well, first Jake, now this Laura girl", he mused.

"What about them?"

"They both seem to be on a quest to avenge their lovers' killer. If I was him, this kind of devotion would really satisfy me".

….

_Few hours later_

Volker paid the taxi driver and got out on the dark street.

Once the sound of the engine was lost in the distance, he turned around to face the massive building he had come to visit.

The last time he had been there, the site was full of cops walking in an out. Now the aura of abandonment was surrounding every part of its territory.

So it was true. The Californian Bureau of Investigation had been shut down. Much to his disappointment. It just made finding her much more complicated now.

Just then, a car appeared on the far corner of the street. He couldn't risk being seen. Quickly improvising, he hid himself behind a bush.

….

"I can't believe I agreed to do this", Lisbon said regrettably.

She looked outside her window. After a two-hour flight and a fifteen-minute drive they were finally at their destination. Though, now, she wasn't really sure if it was the best idea to come here.

Jane stopped the car and took the key off the ignition. "Oh, I'm sure that you're just as thrilled", he said in a playful voice, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

She smiled despite herself. "Thrilled to sneak in an abandoned building at night?" she scoffed.

"Well, it's not just any building. It's the building we used to work at for more than ten years".

**A/N: Haha I feel bad for doing this to you. I'll try and update as soon as I can. Also, it turned out it was really painful just writing "Vega" :'( **

**Next chapter will be rated M. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter enters M territory at the end, so if you're not particularly into this stuff, just skip that part. In any other case, enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 7: Strong Desires**

Jane drew a long pin from the pocket of his vest and started using it on the locker; Lisbon fidgeting impatiently by his side; her hands buried in the warm pockets of her coat. She observed the adept movements of his fingers and had a sudden flash of the sensation of them trailing her skin. She tried to focus on their surroundings, disinclining herself from the alluring thought.

She was worried someone would witness them trying to trespass on a state property, which was kind of ironic, considering their history in it.

Jane was right, though. It was thrilling. She could feel the rush of adrenaline in her blood vessels; could feel her heart throbbing in her chest. This was the sound of freedom; the sound of letting yourself loose. And she owed it all to the man that was standing next to her. It was the kind of adventure she secretly longed for her entire life. One she was too much of a chicken to seek on her own.

Before she had met Jane, she couldn't bring herself to bend her morals. She was afraid that the slightest form of indulgence in herself would result in her becoming like her father. Following the rules was her only defense against the life of greediness he had inspired. On the downside, that also meant she could never have fun. Not really. At least not until Jane had come in her life. His carefree and troublesome nature, though annoying, had made it easier for her to loosen her armor and have a little taste of the fresh air on her bare skin.

The sound of metal parts fitting with each other reached her ears. Jane turned his face toward her and let his lips stretch to a devious smile. She grinned at his expression. With a gentle push of his palm on the surface, the door unclicked.

…..

Volker had heard of desires so strong, they became illusions; had heard of desert men longing for water so desperately, their minds drew oases on the scorching sand. But he had never imagined the amount of truth in them before this moment.

And yet, it was really them. In flesh and bones. Though he had no idea as to what they could possibly be doing here. He was prepared to travel to another state to find them and now these two idiots made his job a lot easier. Though, admittedly, he did have to find out their purpose and the amount of time they planned to spend here.

Carefully, he drew himself out of his hiding place, casting an examining look on his surroundings. The whistle of the main road was a distant sound from where he stood, which gave him enough of a cover. He rushed across the street with a feathery stride. Reaching the entrance of the building, he gently placed his fingers on the thin opening of the door and crept inside.

…...

"It's really cold in here. Maybe we should head back to the car", Lisbon suggested, wrapping one hand around her frame; the other holding a flashlight.

"Don't worry. I have already cared for that", he said, raising his remote hand to show her a small casket he was holding.

"What's this?" she inquired.

"You'll see", he said enigmatically.

She rolled her eyes at him.

By then, they'd reached the dreary part of the building that used to be the bullpen. Their feet didn't guide them further than the entrance. Lisbon felt a bitter feeling in her gut, seeing what had become of the place that once constituted a huge part of her life. Her mind painted it with colorful memories of the past. The team gathered around a desk in the middle, discussing a case; Van Pelt sitting behind her computer, Rigsby trying to steal glances at her; Cho trying to concentrate on his book… a sleepy consultant lying on the couch. All drained in the desolate blackness that enshrouded it now.

She had expected to feel like visiting an old friend. Instead, she felt like she was standing before a grave. Because there was nothing there. No feeling of fulfillment or nostalgia. Just the dull frame of what used to be their lives here. It was like expecting to find solid ground and falling in a ditch instead.

"Let's go upstairs", Jane suggested and she could hear her own gloominess in his voice.

A few moments later, they were standing on the small external area that was attached to the attic where Jane used to work. It was the only place that was left unscathed, which meant there were still empty boxes and buckets on it. Jane took one of the boxes and tore it apart in pieces.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm making us a little fire", he said cheerfully.

"A fire", Lisbon scoffed, though there was the hint of a smile in her voice.

"Well, you did say you were cold", Jane said, hauling a bucket in the middle of the balcony and putting the torn pieces of carton in it. She watched as he drew a lightening match from his pocket and lit a fire.

As the flames intensified, Lisbon started feeling at unease. "What if someone sees us?" she worried.

"They won't. It's a secluded area. No one's passing from here right now", Jane comforted her.

Then, with a playful smile, he finally opened the casket. Lisbon took a look inside and felt her excitement grow.

"Marshmallows?" she enthused.

Jane smiled shyly; shrugging his shoulders with modesty. As if he hadn't planned it all to fetch her enthusiasm, she thought.

They sat on the low wall near the window. Jane drew his arm around her shoulders and she curled further into his warm embrace. They both grabbed one of the smears Jane had brought along, put their marshmallows atop and hovered them above the fire. Once her marshmallow was sizzled enough, Lisbon let its sweet; seared taste melt in her mouth; licking her lips with her tongue.

She turned to Jane to comment on the taste, only his dilated eyes drawn upon her mouth made her forget what she wanted to say. Her gaze fell on his lips that were slightly apart. There was a leap in her heartbeat, when they started moving toward her. She felt trapped in his force field. As if every part of her body was screaming for his touch.

His lips gently caressed the corner of her mouth. Then, drawing himself slightly back, he tasted them with his tongue. One part of her mind—the only one that was still conscious—realized she probably had gelatin on her lips. But other than that, she did not think at all. Her hand hooked around his neck and pulled him back to her lips, devouring his mouth with thirst. He returned her kiss with equal force, drawing a quiet moan from her lips. The familiar overflow of emotion encapsulated her. She was so used to his gentleness and need for control, whenever this raw passion spurred out of him at moments like this, it completely overwhelmed her.

For a while, she could only hear their puffs and the sizzling sound of the fire. Then, another sound came abruptly in her ears. A distant thump inside the building.

She broke the kiss; her lower lip, trapped as it was between his teeth, lingering a little longer in his mouth.

"What was that?" she worried, sounding breathless, her gaze darting through the opaque window. The interior was soaked in pitch black.

"What was what?" Jane returned, voice lethargic, eyes dark like the night that enveloped them.

"That thud. Didn't you hear it?" she asked him, the alarm growing in her voice.

Finally, Jane seemed to come around. "I didn't hear anything", he said, following her gaze.

A hollow feeling begirded her heart, making her shiver. The bleak; barren quality of the place was suddenly very protuberant in her mind.

"You know what?" she said. "I think we should go find a hotel. This place isn't that welcoming anymore".

"Scared of the dark, are we?" Jane teased her, but rose on his feet anyway. "It's too bad for the marshmallows though", he added in a joking manner.

"Oh I'm sure we'll find something to do", she remarked, her voice sounding raspy.

…..

Volker strode toward the exit with accelerating steps.

Ironically, the electronic monitor around his ankle had managed to forewarn them of his presence, by scuffing the frame of the door. He'd totally forgotten about it. He wasn't supposed to be here.

And yet, it was against all his wishful thinking to leave. He was this close to getting his revenge. But at the same time, he didn't want it to be something rushed. When the opportune moment presented itself, he would enjoy each single second of her begging for his mercy, before he finally granted her death. Of course, that would be after he killed Patrick Jane in front of her eyes.

Patrick Jane. Who would have thought that she would fall for that guy?

He had made it out of the entrance by that moment. Seeing their car, parked on the side of the pavement, he hesitated. As much as he wanted to be thorough, he couldn't ignore his lucky chance to encounter them both here. What if he failed to find them in the future?

Fate was a strong card; used carelessly once could result in it never chancing upon your hands again.

Casting a glance over his shoulder toward the exit, he scuttled toward the vehicle. The rear window was slightly opened at the top. Without wasting time, he fumbled for his cell phone in his raincoat and pushed it through the thin slit to the dark space in front of the back seat.

Having a bugged phone wasn't that bad after all, he thought as he ambled away.

….

The moment they crossed the threshold of their room, all Lisbon wanted to do was get in the shower and scrub off the smell of dust from her skin.

Well, it wasn't just a room, she realized as she took in the sight of it. Jane had ordered them a suite. And, judging from the linen sheets spread on the enormous bed, the over-supplied bar and the striking view from the balcony door—a very expensive one.

She turned to face him, a smile already evident on her lips. Once he noticed her expression, his characteristic grin made its appearance; the laugh wrinkles at the corners of his eyes becoming deeper. It was rather selfish of her, but she found a certain satisfaction in seeing him revel over the fact that he'd pleased her. It was so… human.

"You keep spoiling me", she tried to complain, but failed in it.

"I think you like me spoiling you", he returned.

She smiled lopsidedly, raising her chin suggestively.

Slowly, he moved closer to her.

His fingertips lightly brushed hers and she used her other hand to caress the soft cotton of his jacket at the side of his waist. There was tenderness in his familiar sea-green eyes. That, along with their sudden proximity, triggered a sudden chemical reaction in her stomach. It gradually filled the way up her body until it exploded in her chest. Words she never thought she'd say to him molded her lips.

"Do you… want to shower together?" she asked tentatively.

He became stiff under her touch and for a moment, she was afraid she'd gone too far. After all, they'd only ever seen each other naked in the refuge of darkness. Having a shower together implied that all their body parts would be exposed to light. It was a whole other level of intimacy. One she wasn't sure he was ready to enter with her.

His eyes examined hers and she wondered what he had read in them, because the next thing he asked was: "You're sure?"

She couldn't help a little smile, as she felt her confidence return. Then, growing sober, she held his eyes in a firm gaze so that he could have a clear image of her thoughts and nodded.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the sight of his eyes growing dark. His hands circled her waist as he pulled her in his arms and conquered her mouth.

She tugged on his shoulders to maintain her balance, clinging her body further into his. The force of her movement pushed him back, causing their lips to separate for a fraction of the second. She took the chance to remove his jacket. Once it was on the floor, he drew her back in the warmth of his embrace and the sweetness of his moist lips. Her fingers caressed the nape of his neck and moved further to bury themselves in the silkiness of his hair.

She opened her lips to give him full access to her mouth. His tongue found hers and they started fighting for dominance over each other's oral concavities. His hands moved restlessly on her body, as if he wanted to jump in her skin. The love in his touch consumed her, making her heart pound in her chest.

They slowly moved toward the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes in their path.

The sweep of his fingers on the bare skin of her waist triggered a tickling sensation, causing an abrupt giggle escape her lips, relieving the overflowing tension of her body. She felt his lips recede to a knowing smile. Her being ticklish, though it certainly embarrassed her, seemed to utterly entertain him. Of course he'd find amusement in her most annoying habits.

The shake of her laughter did weird things to their bodies, altering the mood around them once again. Steadying her with one hand, he used the other to open the door of the shower and let the hot water flow inside, spewing clouds of steam. She stepped inside first, letting the water soak her hair and leave wet trails throughout the rest of her body. Soon, she felt him join her under the spray of water, sliding the door shut behind him.

Seconds passed with them staring at each other through the damp curtain—an encounter of bare souls in a moment of uninhibited vulnerability. In that moment, she saw him exactly as he was. Broken and defenseless and a little uncertain. This was him showing her his true self; the man under the mask of arrogance and coquetry. And she loved every single inch of him.

She laid out a tentative hand and placed it on his heart. His body responded to her touch with a shiver, his eyes fluttering shut. She drew confidence in that and pulled closer to him. Her hands formed a grip around his neck and he leaned down to eliminate their height difference. Her lips landed on the soft skin over the arch of his neck. Slowly; tenderly; she left a trail of kisses all the way to his chest. She heard his breath hitch; his hardness pressing against her stomach.

The next moment she found herself flat on the wall of the shower, as he regained control and pressed all of his body against hers. She sprung like a flower under his touch, letting every single one of her petals spread open. His hands capped her breasts, stroking their peaks with his thumbs. Her body arched in response and she wanted to scream at the sensation. Instead, she heard an unvaried moan escape her lips, though it was lost inside his mouth. Just as she thought she couldn't reach a higher level of pleasure, his lips replaced his hands. She grazed his locks with her fingers and let her head fall back, reveling in the sensation that was entirely and solely Patrick Jane.

His hand went further down her stomach and stopped just over her abdomen. It didn't linger there for long, but it was enough to drive her crazy, making her expectation grow stronger and stronger until finally she felt the warmth of his touch against her core. Heat spurred in her abdomen and she knew it wouldn't be long before it released itself. He stroke her clit and slipped a finger inside of her.

She came. Hard and fast. His hands held her steadfast as she shook violently, her nails dipping in the flesh of his shoulders.

She stayed in his arms for several moments, waiting for her breath to calm, his fingers making soothing movements on her back. Then, after a while, she started applying soap on him, brushing her fingers over every inch of his body. His hands mirrored hers short after.

They finished their shower washing off the foam from their skin and hair. Once they were done, Jane grabbed a towel from the stanchion near the shower and wrapped it around her frame. He draped a second one around his waist. Then, with no warning at all, he gathered her up and threw her over his shoulder, making her produce an embarrassing squeak.

"Jane!" she shouted among giggles, banging her fists on his back.

She didn't need to see his face to know that he was grinning.

He carried her out of the bathroom and onto the enormous bed. His quiet; hearty laugh soon accompanied hers and once again she swore, the sound of his happiness was the most beautiful music she'd ever heard.

She felt the mattress give under the weight of his body. He poised himself on his shoulder and pulled her under him.

Then, very thoroughly and very aptly, he finished what they'd started in the shower.

**A/N: So, yeah, this was mainly a Jisbon chapter, but I promise I will write more about the case in the next one. (And btw, of course I wouldn't let them have sex in front of Volker :p That would be creepy lol). Don't forget to review and comment on this chapter! If you have an account, log in so that I can personally thank you. **

**Next Chapter: Well, you'll see! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took me that long to publish this chapter. I started writing another fanfic and well, it was a little difficult to switch back to this story for a while. I hope this chapter is rewarding enough. Again, thank you for your reviews. I was really glad to notice that this story has sort of developed a group of constant reviewers. It means a lot and it certainly helps me keep writing. So thank you :) Some M included in this chapter as well, but just a very small part. **

**Chapter 8: Wedding Arrangements**

"Mrs. Lopez, you said your granddaughter used to attend ballet lessons in San Francisco?" asked Cho, his usually colorless voice hardly concealing his exhaustion.

He had been questioning people since the moment they'd gotten back to Austin, all the while Vega and Wylie observing him through the one-way mirror. Wylie could tell by the stiffness of the agent's shoulders that he was starting to lose his patience, which was saying something itself, considering they were talking about Cho.

The old gypsy woman maintained a dubious expression, as if Cho had suddenly grown two more heads. "No", she answered after a moment, her voice raising with annoyance. "She go to ballet school in San Francisco", she corrected him, her Spanish accent profuse in her speech.

Cho straightened up in his chair, putting down his pen with surrender.

The room at the other side of the mirror glass was equally dampened from a sense of failure.

"Jane would be quite helpful with this", Wylie remarked.

Receiving no answer from his company, he turned his face half toward her direction, trying to look as indifferent as he could at the sight of her. She looked troubled, as if she was trying to make a decision.

The next moment, her expression finally became resolute. Without hesitation, she pushed the door to the interrogation room.

Before Cho could utter any protest, a stream of Spanish words started flowing from her lips. The gypsy woman's eyes lit. In no time at all, she was nodding and responding with fervor, amazed at Vega's proficient accent. Once she was finished, Vega turned to Cho and briefly described what she found out. Then, in the same dashing manner she'd intervened, she whirled around and returned to their room.

Wylie couldn't hold back his enthusiasm. "Well done", he praised her.

She smiled and he could see in her expression how her desire to seem professional fought with her innate need to cheer and show her excitement over this mini accomplishment of hers. In that moment, quite unintentionally, he fell a little bit more in love with her.

"Vega…?" he called her name, but she'd already walked out of the room.

And what would he say; he thought bitterly. Invite her to dinner? She'd already made it clear she wasn't interested in relationships with her co-workers. Maybe if he spent more time with her, they would eventually become something a little more than friends. And for now, this was his best hope.

In another office, Abbott was carrying on with the questions Laura Gonzalez had so rudely interrupted.

"What were you and Matilda doing the day before she was kidnapped?" he asked Jake.

The boy took a moment to gather his thoughts. "We were out most of the day. It was the first time Matilda had ever been on vacation and well, she was excited to see as much as she could. We ate at a restaurant, visited a couple of museums and tourist attractions and…" he hesitated.

"What?" Abbott asked him.

Jake seemed to weigh his words. "Well, we were kind of searching for the ideal venue to get married at", he said.

Just then, Cho veered into the room, his expression bearing the intensity of unspoken news.

"Boss", he said. "I think I found something".

Abbott waited for him to speak.

"It seems that all the victims were in one way or another planning for a wedding".

Abbott drew his gaze toward Jake. They both exchanged a meaningful look. After a moment, he turned to regard Cho again. "Gather the rest of the team", he ordered. "We need to discuss this together".

After a while, they were all seated at the room with the round conference table.

"So Max was right", Wylie remarked. "The killer aims at lovers".

"Makes sense", Abbott agreed. "A passionate lover would be the most eager to solve his puzzle".

"Just because they were planning to get married doesn't mean they were passionate lovers", Vega differed. "People can get married as part of business deals".

"Or inheritance issues", Cho concurred.

Vega shot him a surprised look, stunned that he would be the one to agree with her. The eternal poker face was in place nonetheless.

"Well, it's still a clue though", Wylie objected.

"I'm just saying, he would need to know beforehand if his victims were actually in love. Which means he would need to get to know them first", Vega deduced.

"Maybe he is like Jane", Wylie suggested.

"You mean as in reading people the moment he lays eyes on them?" Vega inquired.

Wylie nodded, highlighting his statement with a wave of his hand.

"Or maybe he _gets_ to know them beforehand", Abbott said then. His eyes pulled toward the glass walls of the room, looking beyond them. "Let's bring Mr. Rowland in", he suggested.

Few minutes later, the boy in question was marching hesitantly inside the room, his eyes fixed on the man who had requested his presence.

"Jake", Abbott regarded him. "Did you and Matilda happen to meet anyone that seemed strange to you while you were on your vacation? Like someone that seemed to show particular interest in your marriage?"

Jake shook his head. "No, none that I remember of, that is. Plus our planning to get married was a secret. No one knew except for me and her", he said.

Abbott sighed with surrender. After a while he said dejectedly: "We need to call Jane".

…..

Though biofeedback was a skill Jane had mastered quite early in his life, he was having a hard time practicing it now, with Teresa sprawled upon his body, her feet tangled with his. Someone would think he would have gotten used to waking up in the wreath of her spell by now. Still, the sensation of her velvety skin brushing his flesh, her silky ebony hair tickling his chest was as exquisite as that first time. His gaze assimilated her ethereal; sleeping form, lingering at the smooth; flawless valleys of her body, the delicate curves of her breasts and her waist, the scatters of freckles throughout her skin. She was so beautiful, he thought for the millionth time in his life.

"If you keep staring like that, I'm afraid I will have to get you arrested", she mumbled, eyes still closed. "And control yourself already".

"Well, I can't with you curled up on me like that", he protested.

"You want me to leave?"

"No", he said whole-heartedly.

"Hmm, good", she remarked playfully, adjusting her body further onto his.

He made a sound of protest. "That really isn't helping", he said, voice thin.

"Shhh", Lisbon hushed him.

Just then, his cell phone started buzzing against the wooden surface of the bedside table. Jane groaned almost childishly. "Not the right time", he complained as he laid out his hand to fumble for the delicate device. He brought the screen above his face to check on the caller. "Abbott", he announced.

At the mention of her Boss' name, Lisbon finally withdrew her body from his to balance herself on her side. "Maybe it's something important", she worried.

"Yeah, I'd better go take this outside. I can't talk to Abbott like this", he said, his eyes addressing their condition.

Lisbon nodded in agreement.

With a sigh of weariness, he rose to a sitting position. Aware of Lisbon's eyes checking him out from behind, he couldn't help a shrewd grin as he let himself out of bed. Knowingly, he added the detail of a robe to cover his nudeness and went to the balcony.

Finally, he answered the call.

"Dennis, you just can't last a minute without me, can you?" he said with sarcasm.

"Jane", Abbott's voice regarded him, ignoring his comment. "We've reached kind of a dead end here and I was hoping you could help us", he explained.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised", Jane said wearily.

"It seems that the victims are not that random after all", Abbott continued nonetheless. "They were all planning to get married".

"And you assumed that the killer targets lovers", Jane guessed. "Hmm... seems reasonable", he mused. "But then, since not all married couples are necessarily in love, you figured that the killer has to somehow meet them beforehand".

There was a bit of silence at the other side of the line, which he took as a confirmation of his statement. After a while, Abbott finally talked. "Problem is, we don't know how exactly he does that", he admitted.

"Hmm…" Jane commented. "Let me talk to one of the lovers", he requested.

"Sure. Mr. Rowland?" Abbott called.

He heard the phone being handed over to the young man.

"Jake", he greeted, recalling they boy's first name. "Patrick Jane here. Tell me, was Matilda with you all the time?"

"Yes, sir. We never parted", he answered.

"Okay, another question then. What were you talking about the night before she disappeared?"

"How is that relevant—?"

"Please, just answer the question".

"About our wedding, mainly. She wanted it to be a fairytale kind of thing. Sunsets and waterfalls and fireworks in the sky. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford any of that, so she settled with dreaming. That night she did just that, describing her idea of the perfect wedding location", he explained.

"Thank you, Jake. Give the phone back to Abbott, please".

Once Abbott was on the speaker again, Jane started explaining.

"It is a wedding venue. He picks up his victims from a place where weddings are hosted. That's where Matilda was going the morning she left".

"She left a message where she said she'd be back in two hours", Abbott mused. "That place can't be far away from LA. We could draw a fifty mile perimeter", he concluded, his voice reaching a climax.

"Well, there you are", Jane said.

"Thank you, Jane".

Jane closed the phone, an amused smile on his lips.

Walking back inside, his gaze almost instantly met hers in the pile of rumpled sheets. She was lying on her stomach, the covers outlining the curves of her waist and below. There was something pure and primitive in the way their souls communicated in their eyes. There always was. It was the very reason he never seemed to be able to stop staring at her. Even before their romance had set off. Without a word, he crossed the room toward the bed, eyes fixed on her. Balancing himself on his hands, he bent down and took her lips in a sweet; tender kiss. She shifted so as to be directly under him, her hands landing on his shoulders. Then, abruptly, she pulled him down, making him fall on the bed.

"Ow", he protested.

She started laughing devilishly. He let her enjoy herself for a few more seconds, then smiling with mischief, he muttered "You asked for it" and started tickling her mercilessly. She gave a little squeak and started giggling, trying to escape his hands to no avail.

They fought like that for a while, until their energy wrung out of them, whereat he settled with gathering her under him, careful to shift his weight on his elbows. Seconds passed as they tried to catch their breath.

Her green eyes shined in the morning light, as she laid out her hand to stroke his cheek with her fingertips. "I love you", she said.

His soul filled with unrest, a variety of feelings overwhelming his heart. Of course, he knew she loved him. Still, he had never imagined how much he needed to hear the words from her lips until this moment.

The familiar look of unease shadowed her eyes. "I know I haven't said it—"

"Shh", he hushed her, putting a finger against her lips. Then, slowly, he pulled it down, tugging on her lower lip, at the same time that he lowered his head and savored her mouth in a long, adoring kiss.

After a while, he drew back again, just enough to be able to see her. "Let's go out tonight", he suggested, acting on a sudden impulse. "Have the day to ourselves".

"Sounds good", she agreed, voice seduction itself.

…

Eventually, it had come down to Wylie and Vega visiting a list of possible wedding locations, pretending to be an engaged couple.

Wylie had tried to summon every ounce of self-discipline, but still he wasn't able to prevent his gaze from skidding toward Michelle's direction in more than one occasions during their four hour flight. Her professionalism was admirable as always, but he'd give his right hand to have a glimpse at the thoughts lurking beneath the stark surface. He knew he was acting like a five-year old child, trying to make something more out of a strictly professional regulation. Yet he couldn't help himself doing just that.

By that moment, they'd reached the first location on the list. Wylie pulled out the note with Jake's description of Matilda's dreamlike wedding from his jacket pocket and started comparing it to the scenery that blossomed before his eyes. A castle-like restaurant with a gate and a huge yard. Very fairytale-like indeed.

His gaze drew toward Cho's car on the reflection of the rearview mirror. The sound of seatbelts unbuckling filled the air. Michelle let her hair fall loose on her shoulders and opened her vanity mirror to apply some lip gloss on her lips. He hadn't realized he was staring, until she turned to face him, whereat he pretended to be looking at something through her window.

"Let me lead this", she told him.

He nodded submissively.

Of course, at the time he couldn't have had the slightest idea about what he was agreeing to. Not until they were in the restaurant and Michelle was warning him with her eyes, before pulling him to her lips. Dazed, his hands awkwardly groped for her waist.

Subsequently, he had realized her reasoning. The killer was looking for _passionate_ lovers. They were the only kind that would be willing to play his game. However, at that moment, he could only think of her lips caressing his and the desperate tug of her hands at his shoulders.

…

_Later that night_

Lisbon took in the image of the restaurant Patrick had chosen for their date night with an appreciative smile. The place bore the exotic name of Moonshadows and it stood up to it to the very last detail. With an umbrella-dotted patio half-projected over the sea, the diner felt surrounded by water and starlight. Subdued lighting stemmed from hanging shell lamps and just over the edge of the cantilevered deck, there was a section labelled as the Blue Lounge.

She cast a knowing gaze toward her partner, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Jane beamed with delight as he showed her the way to an empty table with a stunning view to the ocean. He pulled the chair for her to sit and suited himself opposite her.

"It was definitely worth driving over to Malibu for this", she remarked, her eyes feeding on the bountiful water views.

…

Wylie and Vega sat back in their car, an aura of disappointment dampening their spirit. They'd visited at least ten places today—the last one even had a quite promising name: "Inn of the Seventh Ray"—, but had found no one potential enough to rouse their suspicions.

Wylie turned his head toward Michelle, trying to block the vivid memories of their kiss from his mind.

She was lost in her thoughts, her eyes a little unfocused.

"Vega", he called her.

She whirled around, eyes bemused.

"You okay?" he asked her.

She nodded, though not very sprightly. Then, abruptly, she opened her door. "Stay here. I just want to see something", she said and got out of the car.

He waited for a few seconds, but her silhouette would not reappear in the shadows. Acting on a sudden prickle of worry, he exited the vehicle and followed the path she'd taken.

…

Lisbon had excused herself to the bathroom, which meant he was left alone with his thoughts.

He closed his eyes and let the sound of the waves calm his spirit, emptying his mind from every single thought. Then, slowly, the murmurs crept back to his consciousness. Impulsively, he tuned in to some of them, trying to guess at the personalities that lurked behind them—a game he had been playing since his childhood.

On the table just in front of him, two girls were wholesomely engrossed in a vivid conversation.

"…and we decided that this is the ideal place! I mean, just look at it. The perfect wedding venue!"

Jane opened his eyes, surprised to hear the term for the second time that day.

In the next few seconds, the beautiful blue paradise reformed into one of his worst nightmares. Everything dawned on him very slowly—what the boy had said about his girlfriend's dreamlike marriage: _"Sunsets and waterfalls and fireworks in the sky"_. He knew that the restaurant provided a glorious view of the sunset during the day and that it was only forty miles away from LA.

Quite ironically, the next moment, the quiet ambience was ripped by the loud clamor of fireworks. Unlike the rest of the restaurant's customers, he didn't bother sparing a glance at the spectacle. He rose on his feet and ran straight to the ladies' restroom.

**A/N: Here, have this cliffhanger. (Lol, I'm really sorry, I'll try and update soon). Anyway, some of you requested a continuation of the M scene in the last chapter. Unfortunately, I can't post it here now. However, I will make sure to write and upload it separately as an M rated story. Can't wait for your reviews on this chapter! :)**

**Some Trivia: Moonshadows is a real place. (There's even a section called the Blue Lounge!-Seriously, you can google it!). The Inn of the Seventh Ray is real too. In fact, all the places mentioned in this fic are real :p**

**Also, check out my new story "Oblivion" in which Jane and Lisbon are forced to lose their memories of each other in order to voluntarily offer their skills in a dangerous CIA mission. **


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